King's Eyes
by kiki83
Summary: Takes place on a night after shinigami come 2 help w/arrancar & before Ichigo's defeat @ the hands of Grimmjow. The citrusy events that transpire here combined w/that defeat finally drive him 2 seek out training from the vizards. HichRukia & Ichi/Hichhime
1. So Similar To He Whose Heart She Holds

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or any of the characters, I just lock myself in my room and make them bend to my muse's will.

A/N #1: This is a re-publish so that I could catch some of the Ichigo/HichigoxOrihime fans that wouldn't be caught dead looking in the IchigoxRukia section, so warnings that this first chapter is citrus-y and IchigoxRukia but u can skip some of it to get to the second chapter of redhead goodness.

A/N #2: I've read tons of FF and for some reason it never occurred to me to write one of these in the front of my own written stuff. Thanks Eternal Nightingale for reminding me that not everyone is inside my head, the last thing I want is for a reader to be confused.

Since this is one of those Hichigo stories and most of the time the sexy bastards lives inside Ichigo there'll be some inner dialogue going on between Ichigo and his hollow.

_Any thoughts or mental communication by the characters will be italicized like this. Also things in Japanese including some sword names and whatnot._

**_Any mental communication done from within, for example the hollow talking internally with Ichigo will be italicized and bold like this._**

Hope I've helped, the following gets kind of citrus-y so rated M, it'll only get worse as the story progresses. Enjoy!

* * *

So Similar to He Who's Heart She Holds

"Wut's gotcha so bummed eh Ichigo?" Kon crowed at his usual volume of five decibels above too loud and right in my ear.

I was probably looking contemplative; Kon always wanted attention if there was anyone within twenty feet of him not focused on what he was doing at that very moment. Currently I was sitting on my bed, staring out the window of my bedroom - not really thinking - more like, enjoying the silence. Such an occurrence was getting rarer as the minutes ticked by, I felt helpless to conquer my hollow self.

I didn't even have to look, my hand swatted out reflexively and Kon was batted out of the windowsill to the floor. In an attempt to silence him I rested my heel in the general location of his sewn-in mouth, I had to remind myself that he was small and didn't need much persuading. "Rukia's sleeping. Shut-up," I hissed but otherwise continued staring without seeing anything as I lifted my foot back up onto the bed.

"It's okay Kurosaki-kun I'll get this mooching jackass out of your hair," Ririn chirped as she attempted to get the frazzled lion to move. She didn't have much luck, Kon's only response was a broken groan as he sprawled limp as a noodle on the floor as if he were unconscious he hadn't moved a muscle from where he had fallen from the sill. "Come on!"

"Much appreciated Ririn," I gave her a half-hearted smile I didn't feel. I watched them leave, managing to close my door behind them.  
As I watched the two leave movement at the closet door caught my attention and I quickly turned back to the window. "Ichigo," Rukia had slipped the door open enough to peek out it sounded like.

"Did Kon-_baka_ wake you?" I asked and the annoyance quickly sparked to anger like a fire fed by dry brush. _Whoa…_I pressed my palm into my forehead as I leaned forward staring at my bare toes as if expecting to be dizzy or blackout, praying I won't but…_Nothing._

"No," Rukia lifted her soul phone and the hollow tracker was beeping.

I must be out of it to have missed it. That's just how messed up I've become. Where was my _shinigami_ badge?

Fuck.

"Doesn't seem powerful-"

"Renji…?" I started to ask trying to ignore the tingle of fear at my own private musings.

"No, I'll go no need to bother anyone about such a puny hollow," I easily heard her feet hit the floor of my room as she slipped out of her self-imposed closet room, _otousan_ had a bed for her in my sisters' room.

"Rukia I got it," I mustered up the courage but when I turned I found her already in her _shinigami_ form.

"Already going, get some sleep," She gave me a hug after a moment and I was glad she was that comfortable with me. She lifted her hand and in it I finally noticed my badge, the skull's eyes pulsing with light making its strange noise. After a moment of fiddling with it the badge went quiet and I gave her a sheepish look and retied it to the belt loop of my jeans.

I watched her go flash-stepping over the rooftops, tracking her _reiatsu_ as she dropped out of sight. Why was I scared to leave my body and take my _shinigami_ form?

**_It's cuz yew think yer safe in this human husk._**

I felt the fine tremor that ran up my spine at the hiss of a venomous thought that wasn't my own. I took a deep breath to steady myself and lowered from my sitting position into lying down on my bed in an attempt to sleep.

I don't like Rukia going after hollows alone, especially with the threat of the arrancar out there. I know she kicks ass but I have a job to do, and Hitsugaya wanted the _shinigami_ in KarakuraTown to go out in pairs especially when he went back to Soul Society to make reports to Yamamoto, like tonight.

At school today he had mentioned leaving right afterwards to requisition some communication equipment from the twelfth division he planned to set up at Orihime's where he and his lieutenant were staying. He had mentioned dragging his vice-captain along but she had gone missing as soon as the dismissal bell rang, true-to-character.

My home town seemed to be well-fortified against any enemies that decided to come from Hueco Mundo, but it still didn't make me feel good staying out of any fight.

Rukia thought she had beaten some sense into me, and I'll admit it worked for a small while. She had told me to get stronger to beat all my adversaries. I couldn't tell her that I had so many more doubts that just that, one of them being a nasty voice in my head that wouldn't go away no matter how hard I tried to suppress it.

I'd become a _shinigami_ to fight hollow and usually when I'm overwhelmed by my hollow self I can't do anything for a few horrified moments, just go along for the ride as he berserks his way through my fight. This time I think the monster wanted to prove to me that he could do more than that. I've only hurt enemies so far but the day that I fought those two arrancar my hollow self had taken total control of my muscles and shut them down. I got hurt of course, and to protect me Orihime…

Like he's told me so many times, he's only getting closer and closer and each time it only get's harder to battle aside the mask.

I feel nothing but shame at this confession but I can't express just how **good **it feels. The mask doesn't incapacitate me with pain, fear comes from me automatically but it's the pleasure that keeps me bound a little longer.

It only gets worse as he fights. For him fighting is as good as sex, he loves to cut, maim, and kill.

Hichigo Shirosaki.

I was afraid he didn't care whose blood was spilt, even my own. None of my friends have been hurt by him yet (**because** of him, yes), they haven't even seen him yet.

I hope they never do.

I know Dad will be pissed if he decides to do a midnight "surprise" inspection and I'm still in my street cloths but…_Damn, I must be tired I usually can't sleep if Rukia's out fighting…_

* * *

Rukia's foot slipped as she walked with _reishi_ across the empty space between the Kurosaki neighbor's house and the place she called home in the World of the Living. She grabbed the window frame and crouched in the sill to regain her balance. _Getting too old for this_, she joked with herself as she chuckled tip-toeing across the air a few feet over Ichigo's bed and landing silently on the floor.

He was usually awake when she got back, wanting to know each slash and _no mai_ she got off with _Sode no Shirayuki_ her _zanpakutō_. He wasn't snoring yet he was probably faking. She leaned over him but his eyes were closed. _Guess he can hear with everyone else tomorrow,_ she frowned and turned to cross the room to the closet.

She wouldn't let on, she always suffered like that—_like Inoue_—in silence, but she liked the reenactment almost better than the real fight. Ichigo always watched with his brown eyes bright with enthusiasm, still wanting to learn from her even now, when he had obviously surpassed her.

Sinking back into her _gigai_ was easy and even as she was getting settled in she was hit with a yawn. It was never more obvious she wasn't a _shinigami_ than when she was in the stupid thing, with all the human foibles Urahara had created them with. _Also…_

Reopening the closet she jumped out and rushed to go the bathroom. "Damn fake bladder Urahara-san!"

…

"Yer back."

At Ichigo's sleepy voice Rukia stopped climbing back into her closet. She was in her newest purchase with Matsumoto and Orihime blue silk pants and camisole that made her eyes deadly. "I didn't wake you did I?"

"No," Then a coughing as if clearing his throat. "What happened?"

Usually she was in her shinigami form when she did her reenactments. It was made obvious as she did her reenactment in pantomime and he chuckled as she failed to _shunpo_ in her _gigai_ and stumbled. "Shut-up!"

"Sorry."

Rukia watched him as he moved to cross his arms under his orange frazzled head lifting it in order to see her show better. She was glad she'd stopped moving through the fight when the blanket revealed his shirtless chest. _Stop ogling him!_ Rukia blushed and looked away and held up her finger, pointing it as if shooting off _kidō_. "_Hadō_ 31 and with one stroke," She lifted both hands above her as if lifting her sword over her head to deliver the blow. "He was…cleansed," Rukia smiled pleased at her work, doing a mimic of using her _zanpakutō_ to send the hollow to Soul Society.

"You ain't hurt?"

"Didn't lay a claw on me," Rukia didn't know if she should go back to her bed or stay up and find another topic to keep her there. "I'm glad to see you smile again Ichigo."

His eyes flickered over her before meeting her gaze, "Glad t'see y'ain't hurt Kuchiki."

"Rukia," She corrected with a smile, it had taken her so long to get him to throw off the honorific. _Silly Ichigo,_ then again she was just as much a stickler for protocol. Ichigo only stuck by them when he really respected a person. As Rukia thought about it she recalled her _onii_-san's unusual ripple of ire when Ichigo called him Byakuya without an honorific of any kind.

"Sit with me?"

Rukia smiled softly as he read her discomfort, few had ever been able to see what she had learned to cover with aloof noble façade, this boy's face seemed to be the key to it all, his soul? She watched him move so his feet were out of the way and as she moved closer to sit at a proper distance (even considering she was sitting on his bed) the blankets fell to pool in his lap. She knew more or less where every scar came from that shown with relief in the moonlight across his torso. Not even Unohana–_Taichō_ and her entire division could erase all that this boy had been through.

"Ichigo," Rukia made herself meet his gaze and now that she was closer she easily saw. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"Oh this? Human allergy?" He rolled his suddenly black orbs with piercing thick golden yellow irises, kind of like…

_Hollow eyes?_

She had botched a blow and cracked a hollow mask before, every new _shinigami_ fresh from the academy could vouch for the common mistake—hell-Ichigo had managed his somewhere around hollow number three. Behind the mask was usually the face of what had once been the Whole before it had succumbed to being a hollow and it's eyes were like Ichigo's now were. _Human allergy, my ass!_

Rukia moved closer on the bed so she wouldn't have to lean forward, she wanted to have a free hand as she extended her other to touch his bare chest. His hand quickly captured hers, long fingers tight around her wrist. She looked up and met his newly disturbing gaze and pressed her free hand to his pectoral.

"What are you up to Kuchiki?"

"Feeling for a hollow hole," Rukia half-heartedly tugged out of his grip as she realized she would be unable to fend off a blow quickly this close.

"When I had one," When his voice came it was soft, it wasn't a good memory he spoke of. He put her hand in the middle of his chest and trapped it with his hands. "It was right here."

Rukia's eyes teared-up as she thought about it and he squeezed her hand as he saw the emotion.

"Went through it so I could come get you."

With a nod Rukia remembered the day he'd saved her, what he'd been through to get to her in Soul Society, to get up to _Sōkyoku_ Hill where she'd waited for her death calmly, that asshole. As she pressed her palm to his chest she felt his speeding heart.

"I saved you," He murmured his dark eyes piercing into Rukia's. He was quiet a moment and she was frozen, not knowing what to do as she had never felt normal around this teen that looked so much like her—"And still I don't get any pussy?"

Rukia gasped, "What?"

"Fifteen," He chuckled a little around the word. "Hung like this, n'you don't think—once!—of thankin' me sexually?"

"Ichigo what-"

"Kuchiki I know how much you want me, you could never hide anything from me," He suddenly gave a inhuman snicker and his grip bit into her skin as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into an arousing kiss.

"Ichigo!" Rukia gasped as his fingers gently cupped her breast, the thin camisole useless.

"I think it's cuz I ain't tried before," Ichigo's voice changed. It was still Ichigo's but the deep timber was as eerie as his eyes. "You want me, don't you Kuchiki?"

"Because you've stolen Ichigo's body I'm sorry to say you have me on that," Rukia grinned and slapped his hand off her breast. "Why don't you give him back his body?"

"Aw come on Kuchiki," He teased and idly raised the amount of _reiatsu_ in the room, which when in Ichigo's company usually meant a lot. "Who am I?"

Rukia stood and tried to move away but before she could even muster up a _shunpo_ in her _gigai_ his fingers were gently but firmly on her wrist. "Let go."

The frown on his face made her feel bad, he looked hurt by the distance she was putting between them, she focused on his spiritual pressure. Her soul phone hadn't gone off and she couldn't really feel _shinigami_ or hollow in the shell of her _gigai_, just that it was comfortingly the same _reiatsu_ she always felt from Ichigo. "I don't get it Ichigo, are you sick?" She moved closer to him and he released her with a small smile as she stared into his eyes. "Did a strange hollow bite you?"

"Must have."

Rukia bit her bottom lip in worry as she kept his gaze and debated getting out of her _gigai_ to get a better feel for the power inside Ichigo, maybe get him to take on his _shinigami_ form as well. "Do you feel okay?"

"Fine," He chuckled and moved to brush her dark hair behind her ear but there was always a piece too short to get out of her face. _See the difference between a body and a fake gigai? She would know her sweet Ichigo ain't at the wheel if she had thought t'pay attention to me before she got back in the meat sack._

**_Fuck you Shirosaki._**

_Aw Ichigo-heika n'after all the battles we've been through together! _"Except…Those pajamas."

"My pajamas? I bought them with Inoue and Rangiku-san," Rukia was relaxed around him again.

"They're nice," Hichigo assured her when she mistook his words to mean he didn't like them. He threw his blankets aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed as he sat on the edge. He was still wearing the jeans he'd changed into after school black and relaxed, a little baggy on his legs and long enough that he was walking on them his bare toes peeking out. He still had his _shinigami_ badge hanging from his belt along with the tiny protection charm his father had given him.

"But?"

"That's nice too, even in those pajamas," Hichigo teased and let his eyes move over the curve of her ass so she was sure of his double entendre and she glanced back at her own backside. He stood and as he slowly straightened his fingers slid under the lacy hem of her camisole inching it upward as he curled toward her.

"What's wrong with the PJs?" Rukia was serious.

Hichigo grumbled and leaned down as he caressed along her belly around her sides tugging the top as he touched her back. "They're **on** you."

"Ichigo," She blushed and didn't resist when he lowered his lips to kiss hers again. "Hey," Rukia gasped after only a moment, capturing his hands through her shirt. "You've been, not yourself…I thought you'd be more excited about all the help coming from Soul Society."

"Sorry, you know I got a shitload on my mind," Hichigo didn't have to lie much, it was kind of disappointing. "Battle after battle, now with these arrancar…" He rolled his eyes. He removed his hands and crossed them over his muscular chest.

Hichigo didn't have to dig deep to recall exactly why that pussy Ichigo hadn't gotten some by now. "Abarai," He met her violet eyes and moved in again, this time on top of the cloths, pulling her close. "Told me to stay away from you."

"What?" Rukia shouted and blushed when Hichigo laughed at her reaction.

"Don't know why he thinks his red pineapple head belongs here," He grinned as his words made her laugh.

"I didn't know you were even interested," She whispered subdued as their eyes held for a few minutes in silence.

"How the hell could I resist you Kuchiki," He moved against her as he lowered to capture her lips again, his tongue pressing along the line of her bottom lip. "You didn't answer me before, do you want me?"

"I answered."

"Not plainly enough for me t'understand," Hichigo let one of his eyebrows arch high; it would only help if she continued this line of conversation. "Who do y'think yer talkin' to Kuchiki? Ishida?" He could tell she didn't want to laugh but she succumbed.

"I noticed how quiet you are when we're in Soul Society," Hichigo stifled a giggled as Ichigo writhed against the power holding him as all the unsaid ponderings the teen hadn't let himself say floated (figuratively) from another's lips_._

_Somebody should have the balls to say it,_ Hichigo taunted. "I think it's a bad influence, yew ain't yourself there," He brushed his fingertips through her dark hair. "I'll bet that's the first good laugh you've had since you said bye to Byakuya."

"Leave _onii_-sama out of this," She widened her eyes for infuses.

"I can tell how happy you are now that you came back here," Hichigo ran his knuckles along her jaw. "I just wanted a taste of those luscious smilin' lips," He took her mouth again thrusting his tongue in to dance along her teeth.

Ichigo howled deep down where he was trapped as her small tongue came alive dancing against his. As he came up for air she moaned his name and he wasn't slow or cautious anymore. Hichigo Shirosaki was anything but those things.

He pushed her top up and uncovered her breasts. He gave her a wicked grin as she pulled away again, this time to finish removing her camisole with a sweep of her arms.

Enjoying the agony of Ichigo he darted in to cup each small round orb. _Sit back and relax,_ Hichigo let his thumbs flick quickly one nipple then the other until they were achingly hard. _Enjoy the ride Ichi-heika._

Hichigo busied his lips with open mouth kisses along her jaw and down her throat to her collar bone. Her small fingers trembled over the muscles of his chest as his fingers pinched almost too hard at her nipples and all she could do was cry out his name.

"Sshh," Hichigo hissed moving to suck gently on the curve of her shoulder and neck. "Unless you want _otousan_ breakin' down the door to cheer me on."

_Shall we fuck her Ichi-heika?_

**_No!_** Ichigo shouted from his cage. **_Rukia don't let him do this!_**

_She doesn't want me,_ _she's after the original edition,_ and Hichigo paused to take a quick peek at his handiwork, the dark red—almost purple—hicky discoloring her pale skin. He planned on marking her more permanently later and even the shivers of what he planned for sweetest Rukia had Ichigo fighting like a wild beast against the mask.

**_Don't touch her baka!_** If only Rukia had tried to feel his spiritual pressure outside her _gigai_, the outer wrapping of them both were hindering Rukia's senses.

_Have you kissed these sweet lips Kurosaki? _Hichigo tortured, knowing the answer himself. _Can you see how swollen they are for you? But I did the kissin'._

She was so short he lowered slowly to his knees to capture a nipple at first gently with suction. Rukia's fingers sunk into his short orange hair and tugged, her fingers kneading as if capable of nothing else as his tongue teased the taut peak.

_Mmm,_ Hichigo growled as he switched to the other breast his teeth grazing.

"I—I-" She gasped as if trying to say his name his fingers still tweaking the unoccupied nipple. "I—hh-" She moaned, "Hh-Ichigo!"

_Did you hear that Ichi-baka? _Hichigo rolled his tongue around her nipple, licking and pulling with his teeth as the breathy moan sounded more like the hollow's name. _Can't you almost taste her tits?_

**_You can't just be content with taking over my soul? Don't do this—_**

_You love her!_ Hichigo paused in his abuse of her nipple to look up at her passion-flushed face. Her eyes were bright and luminous with the sinful things Hichigo made her think and feel. _Should I tell her?_

**_Baka._**

"Rukia," Hichigo was surprised when his voice trembled over what he'd meant to be confident and clear. Ichigo gave a suddenly violent surge but Hichigo gasped and hid his face against her belly as he fought internally. He gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the _reiatsu_ dampened, inside, he didn't have to flex far to slap his bitch.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said in a soft aroused whisper.

"I want to be inside you," He lifted his head to meet her startled but excite-brightened eyes his right hand slipping up the silk of her pants to stroke her, she was already wet the entire pajama set worthless defense.

"Please," Rukia's arms tightened around him pressing his face into her soft skin. "Please Ichigo…Stop."

_Did she just say—_She pulled away._ Fuck!_ "Rukia?" He moved after her, getting to his much longer legs as she tried to back away from him. "What's wrong? I'm sorry I thought-"

"Ichigo…" Tears were a surprise to see in the _shinigami's_ eyes. "I don't think we should…think about Inoue and Renji?"

"What the hell? You said he was just a childhood friend," Hichigo was getting just as excited at the storm of a fight darkening Rukia's lust.

"He is, but I know he cares, he's told me," Rukia sighed and looked around for her camisole trying to pretend she was in a same sex bath, even if he was staring with those new frightening eyes.

She had figured easily that they reminded her of a hollow's eyes behind their mask. She felt there was another reason for the shock of recognition those eyes had weakened her with.

"But you don't like him? Like fuckin' a tropical fruit?"

Rukia blushed and tired her best not to laugh. "Ichigo," She chided.

"Aw I didn't want to have to tell you this Kuchiki," Going over options in his head idly Hichigo kept himself close enough to pounce, for whatever reason. _I'm a hollow? I love you? I'm a hollow? Hm, wut cha think I-chi-go? _Hichigo drew out his old master's name like a taunt.

**_Don't_. **His voice beat like a jolt and Hichigo had to close his eyes or Rukia would surely see a flash of the old king's eyes and know something was up. **_Don't. _**The defeat in the voice was beginning to overwhelm all else.

"I love **you**, not Inoue!" He felt Ichigo flinch inside and couldn't help but roll with silent laughter. _You love 'em both? Oh King you hentai._

"Tell Inoue; don't let her think there could ever be a chance…"

"We don't have to go out and tell everybody Kuchiki," Hichigo tried to calm the inner laughter as he debated on how quickly he could end a fight.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't do that to Inoue," Rukia smiled fondly of the sweet-hearted girl.

_Hm, I like a little blood and pain before sex, tends to ruin the girls though,_ Hichigo taunted revealing more about the place his hollow self had been trapped, where Ichigo had first seen old man Zangetsu.

"Rukia," Hichigo moved close to her once again, not very satisfied with the hicky on her right breast but suddenly deadly curious as something occurred to him. _Do you think she could hand my bankai?_

**_My bankai!_** Ichigo was still pulsing with the constant pleasurable sensation of being trapped behind the mask. The struggle against his hollow self had only managed to make him tired and more susceptible to Hichigo locking him away permanently.

_There's a reason I'm here ba-ka,_ Hichigo taunted as he reached for Rukia's shoulders to pull her closer, keep her from escaping. _You can't handle my bankai alone; I'm tired of the way this relationship is workin'. Especially when you don't take advantage._

For a moment they both thought he'd won as Rukia lifted her head for a passionate kiss. Hichigo snaked his arms around her to curl his fingers over her ass. He left her breasts unmolested; he'd gotten below the waist and wouldn't go back so quickly this time.

"Ichigo," She tore her lips from his and moved away her rejection spiking fury in Hichigo. "Go, tell Inoue."

"Then you'll let me fuck you Kuchiki?" Hichigo growled angrily and almost slapped himself as she spun and leveled angry eyes on him.

"No," Rukia bit the word out, in her hands was her rumpled camisole. "Sorry to disappoint Kurosaki."

_Oh well._

Ichigo struggled anew at the flicker of ideas that included some form of rape or necrophilia, all with varying levels of resistance on Rukia's part and how he'd take care of that. He wasn't sure if he was happy when that idea took him off toward more violent fighting and death than sexual.

"Kuchiki, one thing," He watched her pull the camisole on and frowned. "A hollow didn't bite me," He admitted and saw her already on edge even though she looked perfectly at ease. "Ichigo is here," He touched his chest his other hand resting near the badge on his waist.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ichigo, this part of me just never showed through," Hichigo watched the thoughts churn in her eyes, what was she speculating? _Could be even more fun than disembowelin' her!_ He mused enthusiastically to a furious Ichigo.

"Showed through?" Rukia took a calm breath. It was true, there was a reason she'd looked more than once at Ichigo the day they first met. Fate had collected Wholes she had needed to _Konso_ near the odd boy and in the dark of his bedroom; he had been a dead ringer for…

"I've always been part of his strength," Hichigo bragged, tempted to use the badge and let her get a good look at his mask before he killed her, or he could do it with _gigai_ in the way. There was so much more tactile sensation in the flesh.

"Ichigo?" Rukia stepped back enough to flip off the light. The window was still open but the moon was only a sliver to light the room.

His form fuzzed and he was suddenly there in front of her in the semi-dark. Rukia gasped, her breath ragged as a memory of pain triggered as she recalled the dark-haired face, and it stabbed like a _zanpakutō_ to the gut.

Exactly where she had stabbed Kaien Shiba so effortlessly with her _zanpakutō_. Surely if she had been chosen by fate to be the one to end Kaien's life she would have found a way…

She had never seen him again in Soul Society and feared he had been condemned to Hueco Mundo with the hollow she'd killed. _Fool. _Her first hope was that Kaien had gone into the cycle of rebirth after spending so long within Soul Society and the _Gotei_, he needed spice.

That was most of the reason she had paused the night she saw Ichigo. First had been the full moon over his chest his school uniform unbuttoned and opened as he sat up in bed when he sensed her _reiatsu_. She tried to snoop around for the pesky _otaku_-esc Whole that had been following Ichigo around.

She remembered his _reiatsu_ from earlier in the day when she had not even thought twice about him.

He'd yelled at her and she'd spun in disbelief. A normal human boy saw her? Rukia Kuchiki. As she stood there attempting to fade into the semi-dark he had sucker kicked her in the back!

"Do you hear me? I'm talkin' to you brat!"

She'd been totally overwhelmed then, of memories of Kaien, as a fifteen year old boy with his sweet face yelled at her. He had treated her like his lieutenant since he did so many of Captain Ukitake's duties. It was the closest she'd ever gotten to a squad seat.

He'd been the only arrogant _baka_ that treated her normally and even gave her noogies when giving her a tough time, forever changing the level of formality in their greeting to keep her off balance. That had always been his favorite thing to do.

This time her heart was breaking again as Ichigo's hollow eyes made memories fill her mind's eye, Kaien had looked at her with bloody tears as her _zanpakutō_ impaled his insides, as he thanked her for stopping him.

Thanked her for killing him!

While the hollow controlled him he'd been grotesque, tentacles, large gaping holes where eyes should have been, sickly pale green skin. As she lifted her _zanpakutō_ she had been so sure he would dodge, she'd never even gotten close to a killing blow in her duels with Kaien.

The human face that had whispered his farewell to her-left his heart with her-looked so much like Ichigo tonight that when he crossed the room to fill in the very spot Kaien had stood she could almost feel the hot splash of his blood dripping down her cheek. It felt for an instant that his dead weight was weighing her tiny form down but Ukitake wasn't here to move him off—

Rukia fell to her knees and Hichigo lowered with her, curious how this was playing out.

She knew she wasn't the only one in Soul Society to be mystified at the level of Ichigo's power. He'd used hers in the beginning but it had only acted like a catalyst to get his going without _shinigami_ training.

After her brother took the power she had given him away Ichigo's had hidden away until Urahara had reawakened it on its own. _And he's only gotten stronger._

Plenty of captains and vice-captains had voiced bringing the teen into an absentee seat or vice-captain role in the _Gotei_; being officially alive still hampered the process. Renji had let her know before they had come to safeguard the city from the arrancar threat.

"Kuchiki?" Hichigo's hands were cupping her face; finger's twined in her soft black hair.

"Kaien-dono?"

Both versions of the teen were stumped by that name. Hichigo was crafty enough to notice how vulnerable thinking of this name made her as she crumbled in on herself as she was besieged by memories of him. He gave her what passed as a sheepish yet anxious grin, and a nervous chuckle.

"Why didn't you show yourself when we first met?"

"I've been sleepin', until Ichigo was able to perform _bankai_," Hichigo let him take credit for obtaining the _bankai_ but old man Zangetsu had guided him into it in his opinion. "He can't sustain it here alone in the living world."

_Who is this Kaien-dono? _Hichigo mused but Ichigo was wondering right along with him, going over names of people in Soul Society.

"Why do you still have hollow's eyes?" Rukia whispered her hands sandwiched his hands between hers and her face. "I can't sense the hollow-"

"I'm no hollow," Hichigo grinned softly at the lie. "Just substitute _shinigami_ of KarakuraTown; but you've known me longer than that haven't you?" He guessed.

"You were why I have such…" She blushed and trailed off. "Why I have such strong feelings for Ichigo," She closed her eyes and started to pull away but she couldn't snake out of his grasp.

"Feelings?" Hichigo wanted to sing a childish song to his former king.

Tears slipped down her pale face and Hichigo wondered how they tasted. _Maybe I can fuck her before I bleed her eh heika? Huh?_

Ichigo whimpered as his mind sped over things he'd heard while within the _Gotei_, in the slums of Soul Society, with any of the _shinigami_ in the _Seireitei_. The only person that showed any interest in Rukia besides Urahara (who undoubtedly only cared about the _Hōgyoku_ he'd hidden inside her) had been Renji…

"I knew you were married, I never meant for anything to happen but…" She wrenched from his grip and bowed her head until her forehead brushed her knees. "I found myself caring for you Shiba-dono, please tell me I didn't doom you to a life plagued by the hollow that possessed and killed Miyako-dono!"

Gears whirling madly Hichigo looked down as her hair parted to show the white skin of her neck and spine. While she was distracted…He let his fingers curl around Ichigo's badge.

_It wouldn't take more than shikai to take care of that pretty head,_ Hichigo listened to her hitching sobs, her back spasming as she hiccupped for air.

"And me," Hichigo tentatively began regarding any change in her posture.

"How can you say that?" Rukia' head reared up her eyes angry and full of self-hatred. "We both know I killed you!"

_Aahh_, a couple of things clicked for Ichigo and of course he couldn't hide from him. _Kaien Shiba, a shinigami killed by another shinigami. Older brother of Kūkaku and Ganju Shiba. _Hichigo remembered the biggest tits next to that Orihime broad. _Oh and that slut Matsumoto._

"You know very well you didn't kill me Kuchiki," Hichigo tried angrily and yanked her to her feet and she launched into a tight bear hug. Even though she was small her grip impeded his breathing.

"How did I know you'd try to make it better," Rukia sobbed as Hichigo let his arm settle around her trembling form. "I have never forgiven myself for lifting my sword against you."

"Kuchiki stop," Hichigo ordered more out of annoyance than anything. "Don't you know? I've never blamed you I was only sad we never had time to see what we could have had."

"But Miyako-dono-"

"I loved her, but you were always there," He threw out there and he frowned displeased.

"I still leave myself open if I try to lead with _Tsugi no mai,_" She laughed softly.

"Ah, Kuchiki that's why it's the second dance _baka_," He hesitated a moment before brushing his lip over hers.

With a gasp she pulled away and Hichigo gave her a wicked grin, it told her like it always had in both Kaien and Ichigo, "be naughty, misbehave." "Kaien-dono?"

"Yes," He met her gaze and the sparkle of luminous tears seemed on the verge of being joyful tears. He knew just what words to say. "It really is me Rukia," He couldn't get the wicked tilt off his lips though.

The tears spill over her lashes again as she cried out softly, "Kaien-dono!" She moved back to him as if attempting to bear hug him again but her lips reached his first. The open mouthed kiss was accompanied by Rukia's small hands desperately exploring his bare chest.

Hichigo was bewildered but seized the moment by sweeping her small body into his arms and walking the few steps backwards to his bed. The springs squeaked protest as he tried to gently sit back on the edge but ended up bouncing back and breaking their kiss.

Tired of the game's familiarity—and unfamiliarity with fighting—Hichigo laid back in the bed his fuzzy head resting on his crossed arms. When she got past second base he'd work a little harder. _This shouldn't be difficult Ichi-baka._

Rukia turned as if to leave but surprised them both by slipping her fingers into the waistband of her pants, pushing them down her thighs until they pooled at her feet. After turning and stepping out of them to follow Hichigo, she was crawling over him as she moved up the bed until she could lean down to kiss him again. She swung her leg over his waist, her desire wet on the tightened muscles of his abdomen.

As their mouths battled in a ferocious kiss her hips began to rock, undulating against his stomach as her fingers tunneled in his hair and bunched in tiny tight fists.

Hichigo's hands slipped up her pale thighs; tickling inward until he could slip an index finger from each hand deep inside her she was already so wet for him.

Her knees dug into his ribs as her legs squeezed his body all of her muscles coiling tight as she whimpered into his mouth.

"You like that Kuchiki?"

When she could only make incoherent moans he removed a hand to attack the belt of his jeans.

He kept two fingers curling inside her, his thumb rubbing her clit and she suddenly arched upright her head rolled back, her hips pushing his fingers further in. Only a few thrusts and she was biting her lip, the cry strangled in her throat as she came.

"Ah, fuck," Hichigo groaned as her delicate muscles squeezed along his fingers. As he felt the spasms subside he had her beneath him with a twist of his hips.

They both fumbled at his belt and pants. Hichigo had already unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants before realizing Rukia wasn't reaching for his aching hard-on. It was his badge.

Hichigo swore and made the mistake of trying to grab the badge from her fingers as she pressed it to the bare skin of his stomach, pushing his soul out. A mad and terrifying cackle and Hichigo flash stepped out the window, never turning back.

Rukia's curse came out in an, "oof," as Ichigo's dead weight fell on top of her. Where had he gone? She gritted her teeth and was able to roll Ichigo one way so she could slip out.

She tumbled to the floor and immediately scrambled to her feet. She hesitated a second before jumping into the closet before ditching her _gigai_.

Throwing out her senses she sought madly for Hichigo's as she flash stepped into the city.

Only seconds later Hichigo floated back in through the window. "Silly girl."

**_Why? You're stronger without—_**

He paused to catch his reflection in the mirror, out of the white mask were the golden-yellow eyes of Hichigo Shirosaki. He lifted his hand to trace along the savage red slashes on the beautiful face. "Mm, I'm so handsome ah Kurosaki? But none of the ladies here like my face…" His soul slipped easily back into his body still achingly hard. "Fuckin' bitch Kuchiki."

Hichigo carefully zipped up his pants. Thinking over how fast he could pick off the family in the house as he moved to the closet to find a shirt the hollow was surprised to have Rukia's _gigai_ fall into his arms.

**_No! _**Ichigo growled as the idea popped into his head along with a wicked smile. **_Monster!_**

"Come on Ichigo, she's still warm and wet," He deposited the limp _gigai_ on the bed, his hands shaking as he tried to take off its panties.

A spike in his _reiatsu_ made Hichigo flinch and pull away. "What the fuck, do you want the Kuchiki bitch to sense you and come ruin my fun?"

**_I won't let you hurt my family;_** Ichigo fought the delicious power holding him, binding the mask tighter.


	2. Her Protector No Matter the Foe

A/N: The PoV swaps around a bit so lemme know readers if it's too confusing how I word it. Enjoy!

* * *

Her Protector No Matter the Foe

It was quiet for a long time. When Hichigo was strong enough to take my own eyes and ears from me I sank down and found myself strewn dejectedly on the reflective window of a skyscraper that didn't exist in the World of the Living. I can still feel the bone-aching power of the cursing mask, I don't want to move, there is nowhere to move to.

Honestly it was like trying to concentrate while having a constant orgasm. When Hichigo got excited it was even worse.

When he'd taken my place fighting with Byakuya I'd yearned for what he yearned for, to wipe the superior air right out of the noble.

And I wanted Rukia so much.

Hichigo was right I was surrounded by attractive women, more than one attracted to me in return. I'd always know Rukia had feelings for me, part of the reason Renji told me to back off—Rukia had turned him down and revealed her secret to him. So, yes, I knew about her feelings but found myself a coward.

But Orihime?

Tatsuki had introduced us after she'd noticed my first unsuccessful try at covert ogling of the sweet girl. I met her when we were younger, before she was slapped with puberty over one summer.

I'll admit it; I can _bankai_ with the best of them but talk to a girl? I'm a fucking idiot.

* * *

"Thank you so much Orihime-chan!" Matsumoto said a bit too cheerily.

They had just gotten back to Orihime's apartment after the funnest girl's night she'd been involved in. Truth be told before she'd met Matsumoto those had entailed less sake and more sweet bean curd s'mores with Tatsuki.

The _shinigami_ had kept slipping more sake into Orihime's cup when she thought she'd politely sipped enough to put the cup down. If another person asked her who had taught her to drink sake again Orihime felt she would set loose _Koten Zanshun_. _Nobody did silly! First time! At a bar at least._

"Since you and Hitsugaya-kun are staying here I thought it was a good idea to keep your _gigai_ here instead of at Urahara-san's when you went back to Soul Society for anything," Orihime blushed, mostly from the sake, her face glowing with a smile.

"So he just dumps his in the closet?" Matsumoto kicked off her shoes out of habit as they moved inside. "Silly _Taichō_," She giggled and moved to said closet, opening the door to look down at the white-haired _gigai_ in a somber black polo and skinny jeans. She stepped in where she found space amongst his gangly legs and the shoes and focused on leaving her _gigai_. She moved out and closed the door quickly ignoring the thump of the dead weight of the _gigai_ hitting something behind her.

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime sang with a laugh. "I'll have to get to my closet!"

Chagrined the _shinigami_ turned and slowly pulled the door open and peeked in to see how the _gigai_ had fallen. After a moment to see the _gigai_ wasn't leaning against the door she let the door swing open as her body trembled with laughter. "Aw that looks terribly naughty."

"What?" Orihime tripped to her side, her mammoth chest almost bowling over Matsumoto. The innocent girl blushed beet red and slapped her hands over her eyes.

Matsumoto closed the door without moving the _gigai_ and turned away to summon the _senkaimon_ back to Soul Society before her _taichō_ dismissed her from vice-captain for shirking her duties. She'd just heard that Orihime hadn't had sake at a bar before and had gone a little overboard showing the teen the bar she'd found only a few hours after arriving in the World of the Living.

"Rangiku-san don't leave them like that!" Orihime pleaded but the teetering lieutenant was already gone, the s_enkaimon_ disappearing.

Orihime stood there a moment before looking over her shoulder the expression on her face would have new arrival thinking there was a hollow in her closet.

"All I need in there are umbrellas," Orihime reasoned. "As long as nobody else wants to hang up their coat and it doesn't rain I'll never have to open it!" She closed her eyes and clapped her hands together to pray quickly for such to happen. "Or please have Hitsugaya-kun come back quickly!"

A knock on her front door startled her and she quickly moved to look through the peephole. "Kurosaki-kun!" She felt her heart skip a beat as his unmistakable orange head filled her fishbowl view.

It was probably the sake that made her brave enough to throw open the door and almost bowl over Ichigo as she hugged him.

"Sorry about the time," Hichigo murmured.

"Oh, I just now got back with Rangiku-san! What time is it?" Orihime blushed and turned to go inside.

"I thought she went drinking sake instead of helping that runt Toshiro?" Hichigo glanced around the small part of the apartment he could see from the doorway; would a lieutenant be able to sense his hollowness? Rukia was powerful, he recalled Renji telling Ichigo that her brother had used his sway to keep her from getting placed in a squad seat.

"That's what I said, we just got back from this bar Rangiku-san knew about," She threw over her shoulder as she walked away.

Hichigo's eyes swung around almost immediately to rivet to the considerable jiggle Orihime had in her ass as well, pausing only a moment before closing and locking the door behind him and following her in. It only got better when she leaned over to peek around the corner of the threshold into her kitchen, sticking the pert thing out at him as he walked up behind her.

"Oh my!" She turned to face him after getting a look at the clock set in the stove, and he lifted his gaze quickly to meet her wide eyes. "It's late!"

"I know."

"It's okay, you didn't wake me up," She did a small twirl and Hichigo's hand shot out to catch her as she found she was a bit too intoxicated to do a move like that. She had meant to show off the cocktail dress she wore, made of a slinky black fabric, the top shot through with vibrant thick pink ribbon to accentuate her breasts. Why did they need help?

"Are you wearin' a push-up bra?" The words came out of his mouth before he could focus to think, her breasts pressing into his chest made them hard to not focus on, her cleavage went on forever!

"Huh?" Orihime looked down at her own cleavage following his gaze. She pulled away from him and succeeded in not stumbling. His question and gaze made her body warm, she'd only felt that way a few times always close to Ichigo. "Strapless bra," She shook her head, trying to act mature and answer his question.

"Sorry," Hichigo chuckled at how many blushes he'd gotten already. _Sweet, innocent, drunk Orihime._

At her name Ichigo trembled deep inside where Hichigo had shoved him. _Aw don't worry Ichi-baka I won't kill her if she fucks me good enough._

**_…bastard…_**Tiny and faint like a fevered whisper off dying lips.

"Is there anything wrong?" Orihime suddenly asked. "The arrancar haven't-"

"No," Hichigo shook his head and turned off the lights, she hadn't noticed his eyes yet. Must be the sake. "Do you have any sake left?"

"Oh, I was out with Rangiku-san since school ended, she even bought me this outfit," Orihime fanned herself as she struggled to keep her eyelids from drooping.

"But she's been livin' here…"

"I'm sure there's some somewhere," Orihime mumbled.

"Where?" He asked patiently.

"Kitchen?"

"You go to bed, Inoue," Hichigo suggested. "I'll let myself out."

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun I'm just a little drunk, I'm kind of embarrassed," Orihime frowned.

"It's okay," Hichigo turned her and propelled her toward her room, resisting the urge to slap her ass. He watched her teeter to the door on what looked like three inch stiletto heels, and then he turned to go find some sake.

Orihime glanced back to watch him disappear into the kitchen. Why did he want sake? Was something wrong? She had thought Rukia had been able to make him cheer up. She had felt such a twinge of jealousy at her ability to do that so easily, but apparently it hadn't had any sticking power.

_Tell him_, she bit her lip and squeezed the tears back as she turned to find some PJs and leave him to whatever had him looking for Matsumoto's sake stash.

_Why is he here? _She wondered as she stood in the middle of her bedroom hugging her waist her fingers caressing in nervous circles on the slinky fabric of her new dress. _It's Fate Orihime! Fate getting tired of you being too scared! _She frowned as she unzipped the cute dress Matsumoto had bought her as a thank you for letting them stay with her. She was fine with all of the _shinigami_ coming to save her life and all of those in KarakuraTown, but the vice-captain was a good friend.

The slinky fabric fell as soon as she slipped the spaghetti straps off her shoulders. She unhooked the decent amount of tiny clasps to remove her bra, the designer strapless number always made her breasts ache a little. _Must be a little push-up I guess,_ she found a large nightshirt and pulled it on. As she started to close the dresser drawer her eyes fell on her panties, she had them rolled up and packed together like _makizushi._

With the dress Matsumoto had bought the suicidal shoes and the matching black lacy strapless-bra and thong, she had told her it was a necessity since the fabric clung so tightly to her curves. She wasn't necessarily a fan of wearing them on a regular basis and only owned two herself. She plucked out a pair, soft white cotton, still a sexy high-cut but with a bit more coverage.

She was tired but her body was still very conscious of Ichigo's presence. She wanted to go see if he'd left. _Don't let him do that! Stop him! _"I couldn't…" She whispered to herself as she blushed.

"I do need some water," She'd spent enough time with Matsumoto already to know she'd be hungover without at least two bottles before bed.

Turning to move toward the kitchen she saw Hichigo leaning in the half-open door with the sexiest heart-stopping smile on his lips. "How about some more sake?" He held up the large bottle, she recalled Matsumoto being surrounded by numerous empty ones the same size.

"I need to drink two bottles of water before bed, Rangiku-san's orders," Orihime tried to sound her usual chipper self but it suddenly occurred to her- "How long were you standing there?"

Hichigo had seen the whole glorious show, his hands itching the whole time to touch those breasts. "Not long," He slid the door open little more and moved inside. "You didn't want to hear why I'm visitin' you so late?"

"I'm a little silly right now."

_When ain't you?_

"I had it out with Kuchiki," Hichigo admitted, taking a long drink from the bottle, he'd almost chugged half of it in the kitchen already. "Apparently she had some strange infatuation for me; I look like a _shinigami_ she knew a while back, that she killed."

"What?" Orihime gasped.

"I know!" Hichigo laughed.

"I mean, what about **your** feelings?" Orihime was bewildered, she thought Ichigo loved Rukia.

"Feelings?" Hichigo put on a surprised look. "Kuchiki? No, I…" He shook his head and moved in closer. "I told her - she was angry - but…Inoue…Orihime I'm in love with you."

Orihime couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Kurosaki-kun…" She whispered touching his face tentatively.

Before she could really distinguish anything odd with his gaze Hichigo scattered her easily-scattered wits with a kiss. He cupped her face so he could coax her lips open and she was very still as his tongue slipped in to explore her soft mouth.

The intensity increased as she began to return his tongue's thrusts. He slipped his arms around her tight, her nipples driving him crazy as they brushed back and forth over his chest. "I can't go back home with Kuchiki there."

Blushing so deep he could see it in the semi-dark she whispered. "Rangiku-san said that she was going to try to convince Hitsugaya-kun to stay in Soul Society so she could go hang with her friends at the sake bar…" She whispered. "Do you want to stay with me?"

"With you? Or in the living room?" Hichigo asked and tried not to grumble when she hid her face in his chest. _Damn virgins._

"You would really…" Orihime's voice was so soft he could hardly hear, he put a hand on her chin to lift her face and she met his eyes. "Be with me?"

"I've wanted you since I knew what the words meant, I love you Orihime," Hichigo gave her another kiss, almost chaste…

_You almost made me believe it was **my** idea to gently make love to your sweet Orihime,_ Hichigo stepped in and deepened the kiss his hands abandoning the sake on the dresser for a good grip on one ass cheek.

**_You think I'm gone? Don't be a baka, this is my body! _**Ichigo growled exasperated as Hichigo exerted control over him again. He gave Orihime a second's pause before inching her nightshirt up over her tight tummy, resisting the urge to cup her heavenly breasts so he could whisk the shirt off with her help.

"So beautiful," Ichigo whispered with loving reverence.

With an impatient shove Hichigo crammed Ichigo down, and gently pushed Orihime until she bounced on the bed, her breasts jiggling forever_. Just for that, I'm fucking her titties when I come._

_Not Inoue, I'll let you fuck the damn gigai…_Try as he might every word only made it worse.

Hichigo lowered onto the bed over her legs as she sat shy in the bed, bringing their faces kissably close.

"I'm a little scared Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said timidly. Still with the last name?

**_I won't let him hurt you! _**Ichigo fought again for a moment and Hichigo hid the internal fight with a kiss.

"It's okay," Hichigo crooned, _I like it. _He took her lips for another kiss, this one not from Ichigo, or a distraction. Orihime moaned as he squeezed her breast and she passionately returned the assault of her lips, hands slipping under his shirt without hesitation.

Hichigo reared back up onto his knees so he could take off his shirt, but Orihime sat up trying to follow his lips as he pulled away. He pushed her back down and swept the shirt off over his head and sent it flying into the far wall.

Surprise touched her grey eyes at the rough treatment but it was gone as Hichigo gently bit her nipple. He twirled his tongue as two of his fingers rolled her other nipple, the rest of his hand squeezing that breast.

He could still feel her trembling, her gasps and moans coming almost on top of each other, so he was surprised when her hands fumbled at the buckle of his belt. He let her fumble a moment with the button of his jeans before doing it for her as she did another fumble at the zipper. "If you wanted my cloths off, all you had to do was ask Hime-chan," Hichigo teased as he captured her hands and caught her attention.

A blush of pleasure heated her face at the nickname, only Chizuru had called her that, and it meant so much more coming from the man she'd loved so long. "Kurosaki-kun-" A surprised gasp of pained pleasure interrupted her words as his nimble fingers flashed up to pinch her nipple hard. "Oh!"

"Am I yer lover Hime-chan?" Hichigo growled as he released her nipple and dipped his mouth down to capture the rosy nub torturing with his tongue. "Don't call me Kurosaki-kun."

"What do you want me to call you?" She murmured as he suckled on her breast.

"Mm, _Hime_-chan," He mumbled around her nipple and the vibration of his teeth made her cry out. "Can't you be creative?"

"I want to make you happy Kurosaki-kun—Oh!" Her body jerked as his teeth bit into the flesh around her nipple before he switched to the other breast.

"_Heika_," Hichigo commanded in a growl as he tasted her.

"_Heika_-kun," Orihime whimpered as he slipped a finger along her panties. "Oh, yes…"

The hollow couldn't keep the grin off his lips and he rolled his dark eyes up to watch her face twist and wince in pleasure. _Beautiful_. Hichigo gave a bite to her nipple and she moaned louder her pained wince more pronounced but the proof was wet on his fingers. _That's not beautiful Ichi-baka, it's fuckin' hot. _Hichigo easily knew his human side had thought the awed word not him.

Ichigo was quiet in reply as he focused his entire will to remove the mask, be a persistent pest while the hollow tried to play. Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute _Shinigami_.

Vizard.

_Who's Shinji, Ichi-baka? _Hichigo's anger rose as he found the boy resisting when he tried to remember more about the blond grinning _senpai_. He pulled away from Orihime to remove the rest of his cloths.

How could he not know about Shinji? Flashes of odd Urahara-made gizmos taking his memories with a honk and puff of violet smoke were thrust into the hollow's probing thoughts instead as he tried to use Ichigo's memories to find out.

Eyes wide Orihime's lips moved over silent words she was contemplating as his erection sprang free brushing his taunt lower abdomen. "Kuro-" She started to moan but with a gasp cut herself off.

Hichigo watched her eyes shoot up to catch his gaze apprehensively, her grey eyes excited nonetheless. "What?"

"_Heika_-kun," Orihime bit her lip as she let her gaze lower before she moved up to her knees on the bed and leaned into him. "D-don't let me do anything…wrong," Orihime murmured and Hichigo—whose middle name was depraved-almost pouted at her timid request until she continued. "I've only kissed two people."

"Who?" Hichigo lowered his lips to kiss her neck, teeth and lips marking her soft skin. He let his hands slide down her hips to catch her panties only tugging them half down her thighs before impatient fingers found better places to be.

"K-_ Heika_-kun…"

"I make two?"

"Three," Orihime's eyes slammed shut as his fingers simply played along her opening.

"So yer first n'second?"

"Chizuru-chan."

As she hesitated Hichigo slipped a finger inside her, the wetness inside making him reconsider and he pressed in yet another finger. Her hands grabbed his shoulders as a cry escaped her lips and unsurprisingly, "Kurosaki-kun!"

Hichigo cut off any other words with a fist in her long hair. She cried out as he jerked her head back to expose her neck to more abuse from his lips and teeth. "The second Hime-chan?"

Cheeks blushing in embarrassed excitement her grey eyes opened as he removed his teasing fingers. "_Heika_-kun?"

"Tell me."

"Tatsuki-chan when we were young," Orihime closed her eyes as he slipped his fingers along her clit, pinching. Gasping, she rocked her hips in time with his strokes, her fingers clutching his shoulders nails digging in.

"And how do I rate?" Hichigo let his tongue lick up the line of her neck to her ear. "Good enough to be yer king?" He released her hair so he could explore the curves of her ass as she moaned assent to his questions. "Eh? Good enough t'fuck you Hime-chan?"

"W-what?" Orihime was able to barely gasp out before his lips took hers. She kissed him back with equal passion as his exploring hand followed the line of her ass to tease her entrance again. "_Heika_-kun!"

"You. Heard. Me." Hichigo hissed as he nipped and bit at her pleasure-swollen lips. "Hime-chan," His voice was low, as usual lower than Ichigo's, and she looked up at him her grey eyes drowning in lust as he played with her body, not unlike he was playing with Ichigo's. "Yes or no?"

"Yes!" She cried out loudly her fingernails digging in to cut crescent-shaped wounds into his shoulder as an orgasm rolled over her and spilled out onto his teasing fingers.

A guttural growl escaped Hichigo's throat and he brought his fingers to his lips to lick them like they were coated in honey. He caught Orihime's gaze over his fingers and narrowed his eyes at the small smile that curved her lips. "What?"

"Does it taste good _Heika_-kun?"

Since she looked genuinely curious Hichigo popped his fingers out of his mouth and wiggled them in front of her ravaged lips. She didn't open her mouth but her eyes darted from his fingers to his face curiosity and desire battling on her innocent face.

"Open up," Hichigo cupped her face and thrust one of the digits past her hesitant lips. With a groan he felt her warm tongue lick along his finger and he watched her lips slide along taking the digit in past her lips to the next knuckle. "Fuck that's so sexy."

Orihime's eyes widened and the corners of her mouth tilted upward, pleased that she could elicit that response. "You make me feel crazy _Heika_-kun…" She whispered around his finger.

"It gets better," Hichigo reluctantly took his hand away from her face and the sweet suction of her mouth to push her back down to lie on the bed removing her panties entirely. As he crawled up onto the bed between her legs she surprised him again by pushing him back with both hands sitting up. He was going to swat her hand away and push her back down when he caught the blush on her cheeks.

"What about you _Heika_-kun?" She asked her voice troubled the frown on her face making creases between her eyebrows.

_No wonder you love this woman! _Hichigo snaked his arms around the redhead's trim waist so he could pull her on top of him. She straddled his waist her moist core sliding along the sensitive flesh running along the bottom of his penis. "Hime-chan blow me."

"_Heika_-kun?"

"What you were doin' to my finger, on my cock," Hichigo barely resisting the urge to adjusting the angle of his hips and thrust up inside her as she wiggled against him.

"I-I've never…" Orihime bit her bottom lip nervously her hands resting on either side of his stomach. "Help me _Heika_-kun?"

"Hold it," Hichigo leaned up on an elbow his free hand sandwiching the healer's hand around the base of his pulsing member. "Up and down, squeeze," He pumped her fist a few times up and down his length before letting her hand go.

Only a moment had passed after he fell back and closed his eyes and Hichigo felt a tentative stroke of her fingers to his scrotum. Groaning he encouraged her with a, "Fuck yeah, harder Hime-chan."

The hollow's gruff words and pleased moan emboldened the nervous redhead and she lowered her head her tongue licking along the bottom as her lips slid over like she was tasting the head of his aching hard-on.

Hichigo almost let out an inhuman cackle as she pulled away in surprise the popping sound of her lips an interesting punctuation to her expression. Her fingers touched her lips to catch the salty precum he'd obviously leaked by now.

_Fuckin' Kuchiki._

"Taste good?"

"Better than mine," She admitted in an almost inaudible whisper and Hichigo closed his black demon eyes as the words ghosted over his arousal; she'd lowered her face back into place.

"Yes!" Hichigo hissed as she slid her lips down inch-by-inch her tongue teasing as if she were tasting him. _Ah, fuck! _Hichigo growled as he clenched back the cackle of glee resounding so deep inside him Ichigo heard it rumble like an earthquake where he was trapped struggling to be free.

_Baka? Ichi-Baka! Your Hime's eatin' my cock like a fuckin' pro! _He mocked as her fingers squeezed into his sack, her tongue driving a loud moan from the hollow. As her nails suddenly dug in he cried out, "Fuck!"

At his curse her squeeze softened and she took him into her mouth as far as she could. The wet pressure of her mouth shot pleasure hot and sharp through him and the hollow's hips bucked. Her throat muscles squeezed the head of his penis like a fist as she gagged and pulled her mouth away from him to gasp and cough.

"Come here," Hichigo grumbled frustrated and set on burying himself deep and hard inside her as she stopped touching him altogether.

"N-no _Heika_-kun you just took me by surprise," Orihime's fingers circled his length as if holding him in place. It was a pretty good strategy. The hollow was practically a butterfly pinned to a board. "How else would you fit it?"

_That is a fuckin' fantastic question! Ichi-baka why haven't you fucked this girl stupid yet? _Hichigo wanted to let his new _Hime_ teach herself how to deep throat his penis but he realized after a moment that he was getting nothing from the _baka_. _Ichigo?_

Distracted as Orihime resumed her promising first blow job Hichigo closed his eyes and shouted. _Heika! _The girl's lips slipped down his already wet flesh tasting and sucking even as he hit the back of her throat. _Heika? Answer me Ichi_—"Ah! Fuck…Hime-chan," His fingers dug into her hair her hairpins stabbing into the palms of his hands as he pressed in to hold her head in place as she relaxed her muscles enough to take a few more inches into her tight throat. "That's it! More…"

As her muscles spasmed around him he grunted, his hips lifting to thrust the last few inches down her throat and her nails dug into the flesh of his thighs as she fought not to gag and pull her head back off of him. "So…fuckin'…good…Ah!"

The quick up and down stroke of her mouth made him shudder with pleasure but before he could cry out from it he felt his power over Ichigo's body switch off. He started to raise his spiritual pressure to combat the violent attempt to seize control by Ichigo.

With a gasp Orihime looked up at the massive flare of spiritual pressure. "_Heika_-kun? Are you okay—oh!" She gasped as strong hands gripped her arms and yanked her up.

"…"

"_Heika_-kun-"

"Ichigo."

"What-"

"Please," I gasped as the sweat beaded and coursed down my face from the exertion of tearing free from the mask and taking back my body. "Don't ever call me-"

The spiritual pressure was suddenly stifling but only because I wasn't ready, like breathing in water I had to open my gills. Needless to say I was not thinking of sex even if I was covered in the sexiest redheaded blanket in existence. Before I could try and feel out who the spiritual pressure belonged too a loud splintering sound met my ears and Orihime screamed.

I rolled Orihime off of me onto the bed, closer to the wall so my body was between her and the door, jerking the covers over her as running footsteps followed the crash of the door and a familiar voice shouted, "Inoue?!"

Grabbing for my pants to get at my badge I hesitated long enough-terrified of my _shinigami_ form feeding **him-**that I was still standing there in my naked human body as the door slammed open and Renji had _Zabimaru_ at my throat. "What the hell Renji?"

"Drop the goddamn badge."

I felt the blade start to break the skin and scowled, "Renji-"

"Don't fucking talk to me mother fucker-"

"Renji!" Rukia's voice called exasperated but as she came into sight she had her _zanpakuto_ unsheathed and unsealed in her hand. "I knew I should have made you stay at the _shouten_! Lower your sword!"

"Rukia he-"

"Abarai-kun please keep your vibrant head about you," A familiar sing-song voice called. "I'm sure Orihime-chan would appreciate keeping all of her doors intact as would Kurosaki-kun and his equally vibrant head."

Urahara appeared behind Rukia, his cane resting on his shoulder blue eyes peering across at me from under his striped hat. Did everyone have to see me naked?

Rukia shoved Renji and he jerked _Zabimaru_ back least he slice my throat open. "Inoue are you okay?" She moved past me as if I weren't there and I really wished I wasn't.

"Is it you Ichigo?" Renji narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously _Zabimaru_ still held pointed in my direction.

"Yes!"

"Kurosaki-kun if you would be so kind as to leave your body," Urahara requested his words accompanied, as I was accustomed, with the snap of his fan as he put the barricade of it up over his features. "If you need help…" He swung _Benihime_ as if she were just a cane with the uncanny ability to separate soul self from physical shell—heh—guess it does that outside the cane wrappings in a way.

"No, can I put my fucking pants on?" I asked using the irritation to cloud the humiliation of the moment.

"Of course."

The second I had gotten my fly fastened Urahara's hand thrust forward lazily and caught me on the forehead with the tip of his cane. As the flaming skull struck it sunk in catching my soul and making me stumble back a few steps.

Everyone was silent and still the few seconds it took my body to fall to the ground with a thud that had me wincing, glad my hard-on had eased or that face-forward fall might have maimed me.

"You're fine."

I grumbled to myself as I tried to hide my mounting fear. Any of the other times I'd battled back the mask my hollow retreated into whatever hole—skyscraper I guess—he came from.

My guess was he needed to recoup. Maybe recharge?

This knowledge didn't keep me from expecting him to come crashing back as soon as I spent anytime in _shinigami_ form, so Urahara's actions only helped my hollow. I met Urahara's eyes from between his fan and hat brim and suddenly I was itching to ask him if he knew Shinji.

"Urahara-san are you sure-" Renji started, still livid.

"Kurosaki-kun do you need our help?"

"I…" I hesitated and turned to meet Rukia's violet eyes, sensing that she was staring at me from her spot beside a blanket-swaddled Orihime. "Don't worry I'm perfectly fine now," I lied and tried not to grimace outwardly.

"_Gomennasai!" _Urahara snapped his fan closed again and bowed as he apologized then he twirled on his _geta_ as agile as a fucking ballerina. "Abarai-kun? Rukia-sama?"

"B-but-" Rukia sputtered and looked to Orihime for help.

"It's okay Kuchiki-san," Orihime was blushing and trying to bury her face in the blankets. "Really!"

Rukia stood and kept my gaze until she was only a step away, peering up into my eyes silently a few moments. Hopefully my brown human eyes comforted her—made her believe my lies.

Shit before tonight I'd foolishly believed my lies. The lies I told all my _shinigami_ friends, school friends and Shinji…

The vizards masked face filled my view but I knew I couldn't leave Orihime now. By the look on her face I knew Rukia had whispered an explanation while I was getting inspected by Urahara, whatever it was that they'd decided was wrong with me.

It seemed hat-and-clogs knew what to look for. I resisted peering out the door over Renji to see his green and white hat. He knew to look for a hollow mask on my _shinigami_ form…I can't forget to ask Shinji about him.

"All right, let's go Renji," Rukia turned to her childhood friend. "Ichigo is okay," Their eyes met and he was still very angry. "Don't avenge me to make it right, it won't."

Renji wanted to object but Rukia put a pushing hand on the small of his back. "Rukia-"

"He wants to stay with Inoue," Rukia whispered and I wasn't sure the girl in the bed could hear it—or the bitterness in those words. I watched her go; having a much commoner battle of wills with myself—still no hollow—wanting to let Rukia know my plight.

_I love you too Rukia…_I gritted my teeth. Renji let himself be pushed as I caught the sleeve of Rukia's _shihakushō_. "Rukia?"

"Ichigo?" She didn't turn to look at me and I let go of her sleeve.

"Some of it was true, still…I-I can't really be with anyone right now...but," I closed my eyes as she finally looked at me my words sounding so feeble to my ears. "Rukia, Inoue needs-"

"Don't be a _baka_ Ichigo," Rukia's face was solemn, I'd seen it like this a few times. Mostly it was when she fought someone and got wordy, a trait I think she learned from Byakuya, must be a nobility thing.

I called it the "Good-Bye Face" because it was reserved for when she meant business and a foe was close to saying good-bye to life. Also, she had worn it the night Byakuya and Renji took her back to Soul Society to be executed.

"I'm almost a hundred Ichigo, with the emotional maturity and experience to go with it. If Inoue could boast that much you'd have a cat fight on your hands right now _baka_," Rukia whispered since Renji was waiting across the living room at the front door. "I…understand. She needs you. Be happy, Kurosaki."

I gave a single soft nod as she moved to Renji and they locked the door behind them and the obviousness of their spiritual pressure faded. I turned and Orihime was still swathed in her blankets standing behind me.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered her voice trembling and almost too quiet for me. Sharper ears in _shinigami_ form.

"Could I get back in my body?" I asked.

"Of course," Orihime nodded vigorously.

I quickly climbed in, feeling safer in my skin. With the hollow weakened even a little I've been given just a short extension, enough time to show Orihime how sorry I am before I have to hunt down Shinji.

He had said vizards, like there were a lot more of them than just he and I. I bit my lip in worry before turning back to the beautiful girl. Maybe I shouldn't go alone?

"I love you," I blurted out and frowned, not my usual scowl. I realized I had to go alone, the fucking hollow made it too crowded and too dangerous for **my** _Hime_.

"That was you?"

"No," I looked down as her eyes lit up with that sure optimism she always had in overabundance. "But it was in my mind to read easily," I admitted. "I felt it—still feel it, Orihime."

"I've loved you a long time Kurosaki-kun-"

"Ichigo?" I suggested.

Orihime nodded in agreement, "Ichigo-kun?"

"Ichigo," I corrected again and she blushed and nodded. "I'm so sorry this happened."

"What?" She surprised me by having tears in her eyes when I was finally able to meet them. "Why would you regret…"

"I don't mean…" I floundered as my inexperience and total ineptitude with girls made me let slip, "T-the sex—shit!" I grimaced and turned away to hide a blush.

A soft giggle and I jumped slightly as warm arms curled around my waist blankets and the hint of her shape pressed against my back. "I thought you regretted being with me."

"Never!" I turned in her arms and she looked up at me with a small smile. "I wish it had been me."

"Are-are you leaving?" She murmured.

I nearly bit my tongue; I was brave enough to put my arms around her, blankets and all, after all I'd held her before, carried her places while I flash stepped. "You don't want me to leave? I thought after what I'd done you'd never want to speak to me again Orihime. You should!"

"But…" Orihime objected softly as she lowered her eyes to stare at my chest. "I love you, and you were there weren't you?"

"I was. I was trying to get free…" I started and she struck me mute with a soft finger across my lips.

"I'm tired of not telling you how I feel inside. I've loved you for so long…" Orihime's eyes were luminous with tears and I had no idea how to stop them. "I want to make you happy…Like…Rukia," Her nose crinkled and the tears tumbled over her lashes and down her cheeks to catch on my thumb as I cupped her face for that purpose. "When she came back from Soul Society that was the first time I've seen you smile in a long time."

"Don't cry Orihime-"

"But I was so **jealous**," She whispered and instead of either sadness or remembered jealousy it was anger glaring in her beautiful eyes. "I couldn't make you happy. I thought of so many things…" She lowered her eyes staring at my bare chest and I felt as if her gaze was burning my skin. "But I was scared. I'm so tired of that," Orihime closed her eyes and leaned forward to rest her head on my chest her arms squeezing tighter around me.

Her voice was muffled but as she spoke her warm breath flowered out across my chest, "All she did was…be there…"

"I'm sorry, I've been having problems," I tried to take a deep breath but my body shivered as I exhaled. "See what happened tonight?"

"I'd be moody too," She teased. "You weren't there with us in class everyday, your face was so dark, it wasn't even close to the usual bad boy look you try to hide behind," Orihime lifted her head again and I was surprised when she tilted her head back and rose on tiptoe until out lips met.

"Orihime?" I groaned as I pulled my head back, tall enough to keep our lips inches apart.

Eyes roving over my face as if committing it to memory Orihime's expression brightened significantly as her grey eyes fastened on my lips. "You're still going through it, yet…"

"Yet?"

"You're smiling," She whispered and had enough tiptoe left to catch my mouth again. I didn't resist this time; let our tongues play together between our lips my fingers sinking into her soft hair. It was much different to kiss her while I had control and was alone in my skin, she tasted so good. "Don't leave."

I had to focus to stop trying to devour her from the lips down as her words had meaning I knew I'd better pay attention to. "If I'm not there for _otousan's_ morning wake up ass kicking he'll freak out. I'll never get to stop him from talking to that damn poster—Shit, Rukia…" Where the hell could I go, Rukia would be at the clinic?

"She's going to stay at Urahara-san's with Abarai-san," She blushed and tightened her lips into a line, as if that had been a little too much information divulged.

I told myself I didn't deserve to feel jealous. Not only did I have the most spectacular girl in my arms, I knew I couldn't be with either of them right now. I couldn't be with **anyone** right now. Even if Rukia was staying at Urahara's _shouten_ I shouldn't go home. I couldn't imagine what that bastard might do to my family, Karin, Yuzu. I shivered but hid it easily by stepping away from Orihime.

I'd have to find Shinji tonight.

"I have to go."

"Why?"

"It's not your fault," I said immediately. "I'm…I lied."

"About the hollow?"

I nodded and saw the widening of her eyes, "I told Urahara I was fine. Truthfully Orihime, I'm fine now but I don't know how long it might last, and I have to search KarakuraTown for the person that has the power to help me."

"Who?"

I shook my head, who knew how Shinji would react, he was a freaking weirdo. I guess I really have no room to talk, look what I've been doing tonight to the women I care about. "I have to go; I don't know how much time I have."

"Will you…" She stared down, her eyes somewhere above my belly button, and I flexed self-consciously. Way braver than me, she was able to meet my eyes as she asked, "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," I leaned down to grab my shirt off the lamp it had landed on after being carelessly tossed away by my hollow. I felt Orihime take my hand and pull me away from the article of clothing and back to her small bed. "My shirt-"

"When you leave…" Orihime said with a soft shake of her head releasing her tense grip on the blankets as she crawled into the bed. She let go so she could arrange the blankets back on the bed managing not to let even a brief flash of-oh fuck, she was still naked!-skin show as she fumbled around. "Come hold me?"

I always thought a _shunpo_ was impossible while inside my body, but that was the only way I could explain how I got in Orihime's bed so fast. A giggle floated over her shoulder as she presented her back to me, her hand reaching to grab mine to guide it around her. She pulled until my bare chest was pressed to her naked back, our bodies fitting together, making me thankful-and yet so utterly disappointed-that I'd put my pants back on.

The warmth of her breasts pressed down against my forearm and I remembered—oddly like a third person—the feel of them in my hands, my mouth. I gave a small cough to clear my throat and tried to relax my body and spiritual pressure so she could sleep. I was lousy at hiding it but I had enough control over it to keep it calm, it could be abrasive when I was wrecked emotionally and it didn't make for the best sleeping situation. It could be bad, Rukia had complained about the depressing dreams I'd been making her have since she returned from Soul Society.

The fact that the girl I'd loved for most of my adolescent life was naked, in bed, and already in my arms seemed to be the only thing I could fit in my head. To tell you the truth I think the head I was presently thinking with couldn't hold much more than that on a good day. Today was a bad day. _Go to sleep so I can get out of here, _I thought desperately. Who thought I'd want to leave Orihime naked in a bed to find that freak Shinji?

Must be the tongue ring…

Chapter Two

Her Protector No Matter the Foe

It was quiet for a long time. When Hichigo was strong enough to take my own eyes and ears from me I sank down and found myself strewn dejectedly on the reflective window of a skyscraper that didn't exist in the World of the Living. I can still feel the bone-aching power of the cursing mask, I don't want to move, there is nowhere to move to.

Honestly it was like trying to concentrate while having a constant orgasm. When Hichigo got excited it was even worse.

When he'd taken my place fighting with Byakuya I'd yearned for what he yearned for, to wipe the superior air right out of the noble.

And I wanted Rukia so much.

Hichigo was right I was surrounded by attractive women, more than one attracted to me in return. I'd always know Rukia had feelings for me, part of the reason Renji told me to back off—Rukia had turned him down and revealed her secret to him. So, yes, I knew about her feelings but found myself a coward.

But Orihime?

Tatsuki had introduced us after she'd noticed my first unsuccessful try at covert ogling of the sweet girl. I met her when we were younger, before she was slapped with puberty over one summer.

I'll admit it; I can _bankai_ with the best of them but talk to a girl? I'm a fucking idiot.

#

"Thank you so much Orihime-chan!" Matsumoto said a bit too cheerily.

They had just gotten back to Orihime's apartment after the funnest girl's night she'd been involved in. Truth be told before she'd met Matsumoto those had entailed less sake and more sweet bean curd s'mores with Tatsuki.

The _shinigami_ had kept slipping more sake into Orihime's cup when she thought she'd politely sipped enough to put the cup down. If another person asked her who had taught her to drink sake again Orihime felt she would set loose _Koten Zanshun_. _Nobody did silly! First time! At a bar at least._

"Since you and Hitsugaya-kun are staying here I thought it was a good idea to keep your _gigai_ here instead of at Urahara-san's when you went back to Soul Society for anything," Orihime blushed, mostly from the sake, her face glowing with a smile.

"So he just dumps his in the closet?" Matsumoto kicked off her shoes out of habit as they moved inside. "Silly _Taichō_," She giggled and moved to said closet, opening the door to look down at the white-haired _gigai_ in a somber black polo and skinny jeans. She stepped in where she found space amongst his gangly legs and the shoes and focused on leaving her _gigai_. She moved out and closed the door quickly ignoring the thump of the dead weight of the _gigai_ hitting something behind her.

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime sang with a laugh. "I'll have to get to my closet!"

Chagrined the _shinigami_ turned and slowly pulled the door open and peeked in to see how the _gigai_ had fallen. After a moment to see the _gigai_ wasn't leaning against the door she let the door swing open as her body trembled with laughter. "Aw that looks terribly naughty."

"What?" Orihime tripped to her side, her mammoth chest almost bowling over Matsumoto. The innocent girl blushed beet red and slapped her hands over her eyes.

Matsumoto closed the door without moving the _gigai_ and turned away to summon the _senkaimon_ back to Soul Society before her _taichō_ dismissed her from vice-captain for shirking her duties. She'd just heard that Orihime hadn't had sake at a bar before and had gone a little overboard showing the teen the bar she'd found only a few hours after arriving in the World of the Living.

"Rangiku-san don't leave them like that!" Orihime pleaded but the teetering lieutenant was already gone, the s_enkaimon_ disappearing.

Orihime stood there a moment before looking over her shoulder the expression on her face would have new arrival thinking there was a hollow in her closet.

"All I need in there are umbrellas," Orihime reasoned. "As long as nobody else wants to hang up their coat and it doesn't rain I'll never have to open it!" She closed her eyes and clapped her hands together to pray quickly for such to happen. "Or please have Hitsugaya-kun come back quickly!"

A knock on her front door startled her and she quickly moved to look through the peephole. "Kurosaki-kun!" She felt her heart skip a beat as his unmistakable orange head filled her fishbowl view.

It was probably the sake that made her brave enough to throw open the door and almost bowl over Ichigo as she hugged him.

"Sorry about the time," Hichigo murmured.

"Oh, I just now got back with Rangiku-san! What time is it?" Orihime blushed and turned to go inside.

"I thought she went drinking sake instead of helping that runt Toshiro?" Hichigo glanced around the small part of the apartment he could see from the doorway; would a lieutenant be able to sense his hollowness? Rukia was powerful, he recalled Renji telling Ichigo that her brother had used his sway to keep her from getting placed in a squad seat.

"That's what I said, we just got back from this bar Rangiku-san knew about," She threw over her shoulder as she walked away.

Hichigo's eyes swung around almost immediately to rivet to the considerable jiggle Orihime had in her ass as well, pausing only a moment before closing and locking the door behind him and following her in. It only got better when she leaned over to peek around the corner of the threshold into her kitchen, sticking the pert thing out at him as he walked up behind her.

"Oh my!" She turned to face him after getting a look at the clock set in the stove, and he lifted his gaze quickly to meet her wide eyes. "It's late!"

"I know."

"It's okay, you didn't wake me up," She did a small twirl and Hichigo's hand shot out to catch her as she found she was a bit too intoxicated to do a move like that. She had meant to show off the cocktail dress she wore, made of a slinky black fabric, the top shot through with vibrant thick pink ribbon to accentuate her breasts. Why did they need help?

"Are you wearin' a push-up bra?" The words came out of his mouth before he could focus to think, her breasts pressing into his chest made them hard to not focus on, her cleavage went on forever!

"Huh?" Orihime looked down at her own cleavage following his gaze. She pulled away from him and succeeded in not stumbling. His question and gaze made her body warm, she'd only felt that way a few times always close to Ichigo. "Strapless bra," She shook her head, trying to act mature and answer his question.

"Sorry," Hichigo chuckled at how many blushes he'd gotten already. _Sweet, innocent, drunk Orihime._

At her name Ichigo trembled deep inside where Hichigo had shoved him. _Aw don't worry Ichi-baka I won't kill her if she fucks me good enough._

**_…bastard…_**Tiny and faint like a fevered whisper off dying lips.

"Is there anything wrong?" Orihime suddenly asked. "The arrancar haven't-"

"No," Hichigo shook his head and turned off the lights, she hadn't noticed his eyes yet. Must be the sake. "Do you have any sake left?"

"Oh, I was out with Rangiku-san since school ended, she even bought me this outfit," Orihime fanned herself as she struggled to keep her eyelids from drooping.

"But she's been livin' here…"

"I'm sure there's some somewhere," Orihime mumbled.

"Where?" He asked patiently.

"Kitchen?"

"You go to bed, Inoue," Hichigo suggested. "I'll let myself out."

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun I'm just a little drunk, I'm kind of embarrassed," Orihime frowned.

"It's okay," Hichigo turned her and propelled her toward her room, resisting the urge to slap her ass. He watched her teeter to the door on what looked like three inch stiletto heels, and then he turned to go find some sake.

Orihime glanced back to watch him disappear into the kitchen. Why did he want sake? Was something wrong? She had thought Rukia had been able to make him cheer up. She had felt such a twinge of jealousy at her ability to do that so easily, but apparently it hadn't had any sticking power.

_Tell him_, she bit her lip and squeezed the tears back as she turned to find some PJs and leave him to whatever had him looking for Matsumoto's sake stash.

_Why is he here? _She wondered as she stood in the middle of her bedroom hugging her waist her fingers caressing in nervous circles on the slinky fabric of her new dress. _It's Fate Orihime! Fate getting tired of you being too scared! _She frowned as she unzipped the cute dress Matsumoto had bought her as a thank you for letting them stay with her. She was fine with all of the _shinigami_ coming to save her life and all of those in KarakuraTown, but the vice-captain was a good friend.

The slinky fabric fell as soon as she slipped the spaghetti straps off her shoulders. She unhooked the decent amount of tiny clasps to remove her bra, the designer strapless number always made her breasts ache a little. _Must be a little push-up I guess,_ she found a large nightshirt and pulled it on. As she started to close the dresser drawer her eyes fell on her panties, she had them rolled up and packed together like _makizushi._

With the dress Matsumoto had bought the suicidal shoes and the matching black lacy strapless-bra and thong, she had told her it was a necessity since the fabric clung so tightly to her curves. She wasn't necessarily a fan of wearing them on a regular basis and only owned two herself. She plucked out a pair, soft white cotton, still a sexy high-cut but with a bit more coverage.

She was tired but her body was still very conscious of Ichigo's presence. She wanted to go see if he'd left. _Don't let him do that! Stop him! _"I couldn't…" She whispered to herself as she blushed.

"I do need some water," She'd spent enough time with Matsumoto already to know she'd be hungover without at least two bottles before bed.

Turning to move toward the kitchen she saw Hichigo leaning in the half-open door with the sexiest heart-stopping smile on his lips. "How about some more sake?" He held up the large bottle, she recalled Matsumoto being surrounded by numerous empty ones the same size.

"I need to drink two bottles of water before bed, Rangiku-san's orders," Orihime tried to sound her usual chipper self but it suddenly occurred to her- "How long were you standing there?"

Hichigo had seen the whole glorious show, his hands itching the whole time to touch those breasts. "Not long," He slid the door open little more and moved inside. "You didn't want to hear why I'm visitin' you so late?"

"I'm a little silly right now."

_When ain't you?_

"I had it out with Kuchiki," Hichigo admitted, taking a long drink from the bottle, he'd almost chugged half of it in the kitchen already. "Apparently she had some strange infatuation for me; I look like a _shinigami_ she knew a while back, that she killed."

"What?" Orihime gasped.

"I know!" Hichigo laughed.

"I mean, what about **your** feelings?" Orihime was bewildered, she thought Ichigo loved Rukia.

"Feelings?" Hichigo put on a surprised look. "Kuchiki? No, I…" He shook his head and moved in closer. "I told her - she was angry - but…Inoue…Orihime I'm in love with you."

Orihime couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Kurosaki-kun…" She whispered touching his face tentatively.

Before she could really distinguish anything odd with his gaze Hichigo scattered her easily-scattered wits with a kiss. He cupped her face so he could coax her lips open and she was very still as his tongue slipped in to explore her soft mouth.

The intensity increased as she began to return his tongue's thrusts. He slipped his arms around her tight, her nipples driving him crazy as they brushed back and forth over his chest. "I can't go back home with Kuchiki there."

Blushing so deep he could see it in the semi-dark she whispered. "Rangiku-san said that she was going to try to convince Hitsugaya-kun to stay in Soul Society so she could go hang with her friends at the sake bar…" She whispered. "Do you want to stay with me?"

"With you? Or in the living room?" Hichigo asked and tried not to grumble when she hid her face in his chest. _Damn virgins._

"You would really…" Orihime's voice was so soft he could hardly hear, he put a hand on her chin to lift her face and she met his eyes. "Be with me?"

"I've wanted you since I knew what the words meant, I love you Orihime," Hichigo gave her another kiss, almost chaste…

_You almost made me believe it was **my** idea to gently make love to your sweet Orihime,_ Hichigo stepped in and deepened the kiss his hands abandoning the sake on the dresser for a good grip on one ass cheek.

**_You think I'm gone? Don't be a baka, this is my body! _**Ichigo growled exasperated as Hichigo exerted control over him again. He gave Orihime a second's pause before inching her nightshirt up over her tight tummy, resisting the urge to cup her heavenly breasts so he could whisk the shirt off with her help.

"So beautiful," Ichigo whispered with loving reverence.

With an impatient shove Hichigo crammed Ichigo down, and gently pushed Orihime until she bounced on the bed, her breasts jiggling forever_. Just for that, I'm fucking her titties when I come._

_Not Inoue, I'll let you fuck the damn gigai…_Try as he might every word only made it worse.

Hichigo lowered onto the bed over her legs as she sat shy in the bed, bringing their faces kissably close.

"I'm a little scared Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said timidly. Still with the last name?

**_I won't let him hurt you! _**Ichigo fought again for a moment and Hichigo hid the internal fight with a kiss.

"It's okay," Hichigo crooned, _I like it. _He took her lips for another kiss, this one not from Ichigo, or a distraction. Orihime moaned as he squeezed her breast and she passionately returned the assault of her lips, hands slipping under his shirt without hesitation.

Hichigo reared back up onto his knees so he could take off his shirt, but Orihime sat up trying to follow his lips as he pulled away. He pushed her back down and swept the shirt off over his head and sent it flying into the far wall.

Surprise touched her grey eyes at the rough treatment but it was gone as Hichigo gently bit her nipple. He twirled his tongue as two of his fingers rolled her other nipple, the rest of his hand squeezing that breast.

He could still feel her trembling, her gasps and moans coming almost on top of each other, so he was surprised when her hands fumbled at the buckle of his belt. He let her fumble a moment with the button of his jeans before doing it for her as she did another fumble at the zipper. "If you wanted my cloths off, all you had to do was ask Hime-chan," Hichigo teased as he captured her hands and caught her attention.

A blush of pleasure heated her face at the nickname, only Chizuru had called her that, and it meant so much more coming from the man she'd loved so long. "Kurosaki-kun-" A surprised gasp of pained pleasure interrupted her words as his nimble fingers flashed up to pinch her nipple hard. "Oh!"

"Am I yer lover Hime-chan?" Hichigo growled as he released her nipple and dipped his mouth down to capture the rosy nub torturing with his tongue. "Don't call me Kurosaki-kun."

"What do you want me to call you?" She murmured as he suckled on her breast.

"Mm, _Hime_-chan," He mumbled around her nipple and the vibration of his teeth made her cry out. "Can't you be creative?"

"I want to make you happy Kurosaki-kun—Oh!" Her body jerked as his teeth bit into the flesh around her nipple before he switched to the other breast.

"_Heika_," Hichigo commanded in a growl as he tasted her.

"_Heika_-kun," Orihime whimpered as he slipped a finger along her panties. "Oh, yes…"

The hollow couldn't keep the grin off his lips and he rolled his dark eyes up to watch her face twist and wince in pleasure. _Beautiful_. Hichigo gave a bite to her nipple and she moaned louder her pained wince more pronounced but the proof was wet on his fingers. _That's not beautiful Ichi-baka, it's fuckin' hot. _Hichigo easily knew his human side had thought the awed word not him.

Ichigo was quiet in reply as he focused his entire will to remove the mask, be a persistent pest while the hollow tried to play. Ichigo Kurosaki. Substitute _Shinigami_.

Vizard.

_Who's Shinji, Ichi-baka? _Hichigo's anger rose as he found the boy resisting when he tried to remember more about the blond grinning _senpai_. He pulled away from Orihime to remove the rest of his cloths.

How could he not know about Shinji? Flashes of odd Urahara-made gizmos taking his memories with a honk and puff of violet smoke were thrust into the hollow's probing thoughts instead as he tried to use Ichigo's memories to find out.

Eyes wide Orihime's lips moved over silent words she was contemplating as his erection sprang free brushing his taunt lower abdomen. "Kuro-" She started to moan but with a gasp cut herself off.

Hichigo watched her eyes shoot up to catch his gaze apprehensively, her grey eyes excited nonetheless. "What?"

"_Heika_-kun," Orihime bit her lip as she let her gaze lower before she moved up to her knees on the bed and leaned into him. "D-don't let me do anything…wrong," Orihime murmured and Hichigo—whose middle name was depraved-almost pouted at her timid request until she continued. "I've only kissed two people."

"Who?" Hichigo lowered his lips to kiss her neck, teeth and lips marking her soft skin. He let his hands slide down her hips to catch her panties only tugging them half down her thighs before impatient fingers found better places to be.

"K-_ Heika_-kun…"

"I make two?"

"Three," Orihime's eyes slammed shut as his fingers simply played along her opening.

"So yer first n'second?"

"Chizuru-chan."

As she hesitated Hichigo slipped a finger inside her, the wetness inside making him reconsider and he pressed in yet another finger. Her hands grabbed his shoulders as a cry escaped her lips and unsurprisingly, "Kurosaki-kun!"

Hichigo cut off any other words with a fist in her long hair. She cried out as he jerked her head back to expose her neck to more abuse from his lips and teeth. "The second Hime-chan?"

Cheeks blushing in embarrassed excitement her grey eyes opened as he removed his teasing fingers. "_Heika_-kun?"

"Tell me."

"Tatsuki-chan when we were young," Orihime closed her eyes as he slipped his fingers along her clit, pinching. Gasping, she rocked her hips in time with his strokes, her fingers clutching his shoulders nails digging in.

"And how do I rate?" Hichigo let his tongue lick up the line of her neck to her ear. "Good enough to be yer king?" He released her hair so he could explore the curves of her ass as she moaned assent to his questions. "Eh? Good enough t'fuck you Hime-chan?"

"W-what?" Orihime was able to barely gasp out before his lips took hers. She kissed him back with equal passion as his exploring hand followed the line of her ass to tease her entrance again. "_Heika_-kun!"

"You. Heard. Me." Hichigo hissed as he nipped and bit at her pleasure-swollen lips. "Hime-chan," His voice was low, as usual lower than Ichigo's, and she looked up at him her grey eyes drowning in lust as he played with her body, not unlike he was playing with Ichigo's. "Yes or no?"

"Yes!" She cried out loudly her fingernails digging in to cut crescent-shaped wounds into his shoulder as an orgasm rolled over her and spilled out onto his teasing fingers.

A guttural growl escaped Hichigo's throat and he brought his fingers to his lips to lick them like they were coated in honey. He caught Orihime's gaze over his fingers and narrowed his eyes at the small smile that curved her lips. "What?"

"Does it taste good _Heika_-kun?"

Since she looked genuinely curious Hichigo popped his fingers out of his mouth and wiggled them in front of her ravaged lips. She didn't open her mouth but her eyes darted from his fingers to his face curiosity and desire battling on her innocent face.

"Open up," Hichigo cupped her face and thrust one of the digits past her hesitant lips. With a groan he felt her warm tongue lick along his finger and he watched her lips slide along taking the digit in past her lips to the next knuckle. "Fuck that's so sexy."

Orihime's eyes widened and the corners of her mouth tilted upward, pleased that she could elicit that response. "You make me feel crazy _Heika_-kun…" She whispered around his finger.

"It gets better," Hichigo reluctantly took his hand away from her face and the sweet suction of her mouth to push her back down to lie on the bed removing her panties entirely. As he crawled up onto the bed between her legs she surprised him again by pushing him back with both hands sitting up. He was going to swat her hand away and push her back down when he caught the blush on her cheeks.

"What about you _Heika_-kun?" She asked her voice troubled the frown on her face making creases between her eyebrows.

_No wonder you love this woman! _Hichigo snaked his arms around the redhead's trim waist so he could pull her on top of him. She straddled his waist her moist core sliding along the sensitive flesh running along the bottom of his penis. "Hime-chan blow me."

"_Heika_-kun?"

"What you were doin' to my finger, on my cock," Hichigo barely resisting the urge to adjusting the angle of his hips and thrust up inside her as she wiggled against him.

"I-I've never…" Orihime bit her bottom lip nervously her hands resting on either side of his stomach. "Help me _Heika_-kun?"

"Hold it," Hichigo leaned up on an elbow his free hand sandwiching the healer's hand around the base of his pulsing member. "Up and down, squeeze," He pumped her fist a few times up and down his length before letting her hand go.

Only a moment had passed after he fell back and closed his eyes and Hichigo felt a tentative stroke of her fingers to his scrotum. Groaning he encouraged her with a, "Fuck yeah, harder Hime-chan."

The hollow's gruff words and pleased moan emboldened the nervous redhead and she lowered her head her tongue licking along the bottom as her lips slid over like she was tasting the head of his aching hard-on.

Hichigo almost let out an inhuman cackle as she pulled away in surprise the popping sound of her lips an interesting punctuation to her expression. Her fingers touched her lips to catch the salty precum he'd obviously leaked by now.

_Fuckin' Kuchiki._

"Taste good?"

"Better than mine," She admitted in an almost inaudible whisper and Hichigo closed his black demon eyes as the words ghosted over his arousal; she'd lowered her face back into place.

"Yes!" Hichigo hissed as she slid her lips down inch-by-inch her tongue teasing as if she were tasting him. _Ah, fuck! _Hichigo growled as he clenched back the cackle of glee resounding so deep inside him Ichigo heard it rumble like an earthquake where he was trapped struggling to be free.

_Baka? Ichi-Baka! Your Hime's eatin' my cock like a fuckin' pro! _He mocked as her fingers squeezed into his sack, her tongue driving a loud moan from the hollow. As her nails suddenly dug in he cried out, "Fuck!"

At his curse her squeeze softened and she took him into her mouth as far as she could. The wet pressure of her mouth shot pleasure hot and sharp through him and the hollow's hips bucked. Her throat muscles squeezed the head of his penis like a fist as she gagged and pulled her mouth away from him to gasp and cough.

"Come here," Hichigo grumbled frustrated and set on burying himself deep and hard inside her as she stopped touching him altogether.

"N-no _Heika_-kun you just took me by surprise," Orihime's fingers circled his length as if holding him in place. It was a pretty good strategy. The hollow was practically a butterfly pinned to a board. "How else would you fit it?"

_That is a fuckin' fantastic question! Ichi-baka why haven't you fucked this girl stupid yet? _Hichigo wanted to let his new _Hime_ teach herself how to deep throat his penis but he realized after a moment that he was getting nothing from the _baka_. _Ichigo?_

Distracted as Orihime resumed her promising first blow job Hichigo closed his eyes and shouted. _Heika! _The girl's lips slipped down his already wet flesh tasting and sucking even as he hit the back of her throat. _Heika? Answer me Ichi_—"Ah! Fuck…Hime-chan," His fingers dug into her hair her hairpins stabbing into the palms of his hands as he pressed in to hold her head in place as she relaxed her muscles enough to take a few more inches into her tight throat. "That's it! More…"

As her muscles spasmed around him he grunted, his hips lifting to thrust the last few inches down her throat and her nails dug into the flesh of his thighs as she fought not to gag and pull her head back off of him. "So…fuckin'…good…Ah!"

The quick up and down stroke of her mouth made him shudder with pleasure but before he could cry out from it he felt his power over Ichigo's body switch off. He started to raise his spiritual pressure to combat the violent attempt to seize control by Ichigo.

With a gasp Orihime looked up at the massive flare of spiritual pressure. "_Heika_-kun? Are you okay—oh!" She gasped as strong hands gripped her arms and yanked her up.

"…"

"_Heika_-kun-"

"Ichigo."

"What-"

"Please," I gasped as the sweat beaded and coursed down my face from the exertion of tearing free from the mask and taking back my body. "Don't ever call me-"

The spiritual pressure was suddenly stifling but only because I wasn't ready, like breathing in water I had to open my gills. Needless to say I was not thinking of sex even if I was covered in the sexiest redheaded blanket in existence. Before I could try and feel out who the spiritual pressure belonged too a loud splintering sound met my ears and Orihime screamed.

I rolled Orihime off of me onto the bed, closer to the wall so my body was between her and the door, jerking the covers over her as running footsteps followed the crash of the door and a familiar voice shouted, "Inoue?!"

Grabbing for my pants to get at my badge I hesitated long enough-terrified of my _shinigami_ form feeding **him-**that I was still standing there in my naked human body as the door slammed open and Renji had _Zabimaru_ at my throat. "What the hell Renji?"

"Drop the goddamn badge."

I felt the blade start to break the skin and scowled, "Renji-"

"Don't fucking talk to me mother fucker-"

"Renji!" Rukia's voice called exasperated but as she came into sight she had her _zanpakuto_ unsheathed and unsealed in her hand. "I knew I should have made you stay at the _shouten_! Lower your sword!"

"Rukia he-"

"Abarai-kun please keep your vibrant head about you," A familiar sing-song voice called. "I'm sure Orihime-chan would appreciate keeping all of her doors intact as would Kurosaki-kun and his equally vibrant head."

Urahara appeared behind Rukia, his cane resting on his shoulder blue eyes peering across at me from under his striped hat. Did everyone have to see me naked?

Rukia shoved Renji and he jerked _Zabimaru_ back least he slice my throat open. "Inoue are you okay?" She moved past me as if I weren't there and I really wished I wasn't.

"Is it you Ichigo?" Renji narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously _Zabimaru_ still held pointed in my direction.

"Yes!"

"Kurosaki-kun if you would be so kind as to leave your body," Urahara requested his words accompanied, as I was accustomed, with the snap of his fan as he put the barricade of it up over his features. "If you need help…" He swung _Benihime_ as if she were just a cane with the uncanny ability to separate soul self from physical shell—heh—guess it does that outside the cane wrappings in a way.

"No, can I put my fucking pants on?" I asked using the irritation to cloud the humiliation of the moment.

"Of course."

The second I had gotten my fly fastened Urahara's hand thrust forward lazily and caught me on the forehead with the tip of his cane. As the flaming skull struck it sunk in catching my soul and making me stumble back a few steps.

Everyone was silent and still the few seconds it took my body to fall to the ground with a thud that had me wincing, glad my hard-on had eased or that face-forward fall might have maimed me.

"You're fine."

I grumbled to myself as I tried to hide my mounting fear. Any of the other times I'd battled back the mask my hollow retreated into whatever hole—skyscraper I guess—he came from.

My guess was he needed to recoup. Maybe recharge?

This knowledge didn't keep me from expecting him to come crashing back as soon as I spent anytime in _shinigami_ form, so Urahara's actions only helped my hollow. I met Urahara's eyes from between his fan and hat brim and suddenly I was itching to ask him if he knew Shinji.

"Urahara-san are you sure-" Renji started, still livid.

"Kurosaki-kun do you need our help?"

"I…" I hesitated and turned to meet Rukia's violet eyes, sensing that she was staring at me from her spot beside a blanket-swaddled Orihime. "Don't worry I'm perfectly fine now," I lied and tried not to grimace outwardly.

"_Gomennasai!" _Urahara snapped his fan closed again and bowed as he apologized then he twirled on his _geta_ as agile as a fucking ballerina. "Abarai-kun? Rukia-sama?"

"B-but-" Rukia sputtered and looked to Orihime for help.

"It's okay Kuchiki-san," Orihime was blushing and trying to bury her face in the blankets. "Really!"

Rukia stood and kept my gaze until she was only a step away, peering up into my eyes silently a few moments. Hopefully my brown human eyes comforted her—made her believe my lies.

Shit before tonight I'd foolishly believed my lies. The lies I told all my _shinigami_ friends, school friends and Shinji…

The vizards masked face filled my view but I knew I couldn't leave Orihime now. By the look on her face I knew Rukia had whispered an explanation while I was getting inspected by Urahara, whatever it was that they'd decided was wrong with me.

It seemed hat-and-clogs knew what to look for. I resisted peering out the door over Renji to see his green and white hat. He knew to look for a hollow mask on my _shinigami_ form…I can't forget to ask Shinji about him.

"All right, let's go Renji," Rukia turned to her childhood friend. "Ichigo is okay," Their eyes met and he was still very angry. "Don't avenge me to make it right, it won't."

Renji wanted to object but Rukia put a pushing hand on the small of his back. "Rukia-"

"He wants to stay with Inoue," Rukia whispered and I wasn't sure the girl in the bed could hear it—or the bitterness in those words. I watched her go; having a much commoner battle of wills with myself—still no hollow—wanting to let Rukia know my plight.

_I love you too Rukia…_I gritted my teeth. Renji let himself be pushed as I caught the sleeve of Rukia's _shihakushō_. "Rukia?"

"Ichigo?" She didn't turn to look at me and I let go of her sleeve.

"Some of it was true, still…I-I can't really be with anyone right now...but," I closed my eyes as she finally looked at me my words sounding so feeble to my ears. "Rukia, Inoue needs-"

"Don't be a _baka_ Ichigo," Rukia's face was solemn, I'd seen it like this a few times. Mostly it was when she fought someone and got wordy, a trait I think she learned from Byakuya, must be a nobility thing.

I called it the "Good-Bye Face" because it was reserved for when she meant business and a foe was close to saying good-bye to life. Also, she had worn it the night Byakuya and Renji took her back to Soul Society to be executed.

"I'm almost a hundred Ichigo, with the emotional maturity and experience to go with it. If Inoue could boast that much you'd have a cat fight on your hands right now _baka_," Rukia whispered since Renji was waiting across the living room at the front door. "I…understand. She needs you. Be happy, Kurosaki."

I gave a single soft nod as she moved to Renji and they locked the door behind them and the obviousness of their spiritual pressure faded. I turned and Orihime was still swathed in her blankets standing behind me.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered her voice trembling and almost too quiet for me. Sharper ears in _shinigami_ form.

"Could I get back in my body?" I asked.

"Of course," Orihime nodded vigorously.

I quickly climbed in, feeling safer in my skin. With the hollow weakened even a little I've been given just a short extension, enough time to show Orihime how sorry I am before I have to hunt down Shinji.

He had said vizards, like there were a lot more of them than just he and I. I bit my lip in worry before turning back to the beautiful girl. Maybe I shouldn't go alone?

"I love you," I blurted out and frowned, not my usual scowl. I realized I had to go alone, the fucking hollow made it too crowded and too dangerous for **my** _Hime_.

"That was you?"

"No," I looked down as her eyes lit up with that sure optimism she always had in overabundance. "But it was in my mind to read easily," I admitted. "I felt it—still feel it, Orihime."

"I've loved you a long time Kurosaki-kun-"

"Ichigo?" I suggested.

Orihime nodded in agreement, "Ichigo-kun?"

"Ichigo," I corrected again and she blushed and nodded. "I'm so sorry this happened."

"What?" She surprised me by having tears in her eyes when I was finally able to meet them. "Why would you regret…"

"I don't mean…" I floundered as my inexperience and total ineptitude with girls made me let slip, "T-the sex—shit!" I grimaced and turned away to hide a blush.

A soft giggle and I jumped slightly as warm arms curled around my waist blankets and the hint of her shape pressed against my back. "I thought you regretted being with me."

"Never!" I turned in her arms and she looked up at me with a small smile. "I wish it had been me."

"Are-are you leaving?" She murmured.

I nearly bit my tongue; I was brave enough to put my arms around her, blankets and all, after all I'd held her before, carried her places while I flash stepped. "You don't want me to leave? I thought after what I'd done you'd never want to speak to me again Orihime. You should!"

"But…" Orihime objected softly as she lowered her eyes to stare at my chest. "I love you, and you were there weren't you?"

"I was. I was trying to get free…" I started and she struck me mute with a soft finger across my lips.

"I'm tired of not telling you how I feel inside. I've loved you for so long…" Orihime's eyes were luminous with tears and I had no idea how to stop them. "I want to make you happy…Like…Rukia," Her nose crinkled and the tears tumbled over her lashes and down her cheeks to catch on my thumb as I cupped her face for that purpose. "When she came back from Soul Society that was the first time I've seen you smile in a long time."

"Don't cry Orihime-"

"But I was so **jealous**," She whispered and instead of either sadness or remembered jealousy it was anger glaring in her beautiful eyes. "I couldn't make you happy. I thought of so many things…" She lowered her eyes staring at my bare chest and I felt as if her gaze was burning my skin. "But I was scared. I'm so tired of that," Orihime closed her eyes and leaned forward to rest her head on my chest her arms squeezing tighter around me.

Her voice was muffled but as she spoke her warm breath flowered out across my chest, "All she did was…be there…"

"I'm sorry, I've been having problems," I tried to take a deep breath but my body shivered as I exhaled. "See what happened tonight?"

"I'd be moody too," She teased. "You weren't there with us in class everyday, your face was so dark, it wasn't even close to the usual bad boy look you try to hide behind," Orihime lifted her head again and I was surprised when she tilted her head back and rose on tiptoe until out lips met.

"Orihime?" I groaned as I pulled my head back, tall enough to keep our lips inches apart.

Eyes roving over my face as if committing it to memory Orihime's expression brightened significantly as her grey eyes fastened on my lips. "You're still going through it, yet…"

"Yet?"

"You're smiling," She whispered and had enough tiptoe left to catch my mouth again. I didn't resist this time; let our tongues play together between our lips my fingers sinking into her soft hair. It was much different to kiss her while I had control and was alone in my skin, she tasted so good. "Don't leave."

I had to focus to stop trying to devour her from the lips down as her words had meaning I knew I'd better pay attention to. "If I'm not there for _otousan's_ morning wake up ass kicking he'll freak out. I'll never get to stop him from talking to that damn poster—Shit, Rukia…" Where the hell could I go, Rukia would be at the clinic?

"She's going to stay at Urahara-san's with Abarai-san," She blushed and tightened her lips into a line, as if that had been a little too much information divulged.

I told myself I didn't deserve to feel jealous. Not only did I have the most spectacular girl in my arms, I knew I couldn't be with either of them right now. I couldn't be with **anyone** right now. Even if Rukia was staying at Urahara's _shouten_ I shouldn't go home. I couldn't imagine what that bastard might do to my family, Karin, Yuzu. I shivered but hid it easily by stepping away from Orihime.

I'd have to find Shinji tonight.

"I have to go."

"Why?"

"It's not your fault," I said immediately. "I'm…I lied."

"About the hollow?"

I nodded and saw the widening of her eyes, "I told Urahara I was fine. Truthfully Orihime, I'm fine now but I don't know how long it might last, and I have to search KarakuraTown for the person that has the power to help me."

"Who?"

I shook my head, who knew how Shinji would react, he was a freaking weirdo. I guess I really have no room to talk, look what I've been doing tonight to the women I care about. "I have to go; I don't know how much time I have."

"Will you…" She stared down, her eyes somewhere above my belly button, and I flexed self-consciously. Way braver than me, she was able to meet my eyes as she asked, "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," I leaned down to grab my shirt off the lamp it had landed on after being carelessly tossed away by my hollow. I felt Orihime take my hand and pull me away from the article of clothing and back to her small bed. "My shirt-"

"When you leave…" Orihime said with a soft shake of her head releasing her tense grip on the blankets as she crawled into the bed. She let go so she could arrange the blankets back on the bed managing not to let even a brief flash of-oh fuck, she was still naked!-skin show as she fumbled around. "Come hold me?"

I always thought a _shunpo_ was impossible while inside my body, but that was the only way I could explain how I got in Orihime's bed so fast. A giggle floated over her shoulder as she presented her back to me, her hand reaching to grab mine to guide it around her. She pulled until my bare chest was pressed to her naked back, our bodies fitting together, making me thankful-and yet so utterly disappointed-that I'd put my pants back on.

The warmth of her breasts pressed down against my forearm and I remembered—oddly like a third person—the feel of them in my hands, my mouth. I gave a small cough to clear my throat and tried to relax my body and spiritual pressure so she could sleep. I was lousy at hiding it but I had enough control over it to keep it calm, it could be abrasive when I was wrecked emotionally and it didn't make for the best sleeping situation. It could be bad, Rukia had complained about the depressing dreams I'd been making her have since she returned from Soul Society.

The fact that the girl I'd loved for most of my adolescent life was naked, in bed, and already in my arms seemed to be the only thing I could fit in my head. To tell you the truth I think the head I was presently thinking with couldn't hold much more than that on a good day. Today was a bad day. _Go to sleep so I can get out of here, _I thought desperately. Who thought I'd want to leave Orihime naked in a bed to find that freak Shinji?

Must be the tongue ring…


End file.
